Pairing popcorn and sparkling wine is such a fun idea to try on Valentine’s or Galentine’s and it’s one of my favorite indulgences. Imagine flavors like Cake Batter, Spicy Jalapeno Ranch and Salted Caramel followed by refreshing sips of chilled sparkling wine.
I’ve joined my friends at Popcorn Blast in Houston to bring you suggested pairings with some of their most popular popcorn flavors. Pictured in the photo below are their Cake Batter, Caramel, and one of my absolute favorites their Spicy Jalapeno Ranch. The Borrasca Prosecco and Rose’ Cava from Total Wine are two of my inexpensive go-to choices to pair with this crunchy snack.
There’s really no right or wrong way to pair your popcorn and sparkling wine. I’m sharing how I go about this, but really the fun is in experimenting and finding your own favorite pairings. I pair extra dry prosecco with my sweeter popcorn flavors and a sparkling rose’ or sweeter sparkling wine with savory and spicy flavors.
Suggested Sparkling Wine & Popcorn Pairings
The following pairings will give you an idea of where to start whether you order your flavors from Popcorn Blast or your local popcorn vendor:
Pairings: Extra Dry Prosecco or Cava & these Sweet popcorn flavors:
Caramel, Cake Batter, Marshmallow, Watermelon, Cheesecake
Pairings: Sweeter sparkling Wine or a Sparkling Rose’ & these Spicy Flavors:
Barbecue Bacon, Spicy Jalapeno Ranch, Garlic Parmesan, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dill Pickle
I’ve included links for popcorn pairing with other wines below. **
If Spirits are more your thing try pairing:
Caramel Popcorn with a glass of Bourbon
Tequila with Lime and Chili Popcorn
These are two great suggestions from The Crepes of Wrath blog post link here.
Popcorn Pairing Station
To make this special for Valentine’s entertain create a pairing station. My go-to formula is 3 wine choices with 3 popcorn flavors. If it’s all sparkling wine, my three bottles would include choices from extra dry to sweet. It is always nice to include a bottle of sparkling rose’ as one of the choices. Similar to other wine tastings, limit your choices to no more than 3-5 wine choices and 3-5 popcorn choices. If you go for more than 3 wines, you may want to create tasting cards so your guests can take notes and remember their favorite pairings.
Regarding the popcorn flavors, I recommend choosing a combination of a sweet, a savory/spicy, and a combo mix of both. Place popcorn in decorative jars and bowls, add scoops and small cellophane bags/ plates for your guests to serve themselves. Serve the chilled wine in different ice buckets next to your selection of popcorn. Have fun using a variety of champagne coupes and flutes. Add labels with the name of your popcorn’s flavor to your bowls or glass containers.
Enjoying your Pairing
To enjoy your pairing take a bite of your popcorn followed by a sip of your champagne/sparkling wine. Then take a moment to enjoy the blending of these flavors then repeat with another combination. You can take a sip of water between different pairings. Again there are no rules, but to imitate typical wine tastings I would start pairing with my dry wine and then move on to the more sweet or fruit-forward choices.
Click here for this blog post that I loved from @vinosocialnancy where she pairs popcorn with some unique sparkling wines! If bubbles are not your thing or you are ready to experiment pairing with other wines, the pairings listed in this The Back Label Blog post will give you a head start, click here.