One reason many people aren’t keen on Champagne and sparkling wine is that it is often served with wedding cake. Sweet cake with even sweeter icing and dry Champagne are a terrible pairing. Like, ick. Most of the time, Champagne and sparkling wine belong with appetizers (or even a meal, but that’s another story)…and wedding cake and other desserts belong with coffee or a sweet dessert wine.
Kudos to Randie Thompson of A Bottled Affair and the pasty chefs at Leaf & Crumb. They assembled a delightful pairing of three artisan cupcakes with three sparkling wines – each pairing a winner.
* Cuvée Laurent paired with a Maple Rum Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing. This cupcake was not sweet, which encouraged the bright acidity in the sparkling wine to complement the rum. The wine was dry and crisp, and cut right through the richness of the cream cheese.
* Kila, Brut Cava, Penedes Spanish Cava paired with a Lemon Ricotta Cupcake filled with Lemon Curd and topped with Buttercream Icing. This pairing let the lemon shine! The bright citrus and floral notes really popped with flavor. Cava has a nice acidity that pairs well with many foods, and is priced to enjoy often.
* Ca’ del Re Muscato d’Asti paired with a Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea Cupcake with Honey Buttercream Icing. In this dessert of desserts, notes of vanilla and garden herbs made for a wonderful finale.
So now you know: cupcakes and sparkling wines can pair very well!
A Bottled Affair is a Wine Concierge based in Denver. Their Wine Tasting Venue in downtown Denver is a cozy setting for tasting events. They offer private wine buying and cellar consultation services.
Mark your calendar for an upcoming event to celebrate spring: Springtime in Paris! Rose Flights Extended Happy Hour on Friday, April 11, anytime from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. Enjoy three rosé wines paired with a flight of three artisan cheeses from Denver’s The Truffle Cheese Shop.
Until our next adventure in wine and food…
A Bottled Affair
1543 Champa Street between 15th and 16th streets
Denver, Colorado 80202
Neighborhood: Downtown Denver
Read more about A Bottled Affair:
http://www.examiner.com/article/a-bottled-affair-events-to-remember
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