Finding a food pairing for Oregon sparkling is an easy task. Often we carefully choreograph meals with it, but sometimes it’s just happenstance.
How would you call an accidental wine and food pairing that turns out to be ideal? We call it a pairing jackpot!
RMS Brut Rosé 2016
RMS Brut Rosé 2016 was love from the first sip when we tasted it for the first time during the release at the winery. Of course, we got a few bottles for our cellar as we have been doing every sparkling Roco release for years now. Check our reviews for this sparkling at the moment of the release and RMS 2015:
This classic méthode champenoise sparkling blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir has a lot going on in the glass.
Both on the palate and the nose, it starts with the aromas of red apple and wet stone, followed by tangerine, quince, and cookie dough. The initial sweet note is followed by refreshing acidity, complementing the fruit-forward nature of this sparkling.
Pairing for Oregon Sparkling RMS Brut Rose 2016
While making roasted duck breast for dinner, we thought of pairing it with Pinot Noir but changed our mind for the 2016 RMS Brut Rosé at the last moment. For our side dish, we sauteed kale. While cooking it, we felt that kale needed more flavors to pair with bubbles and added a few slices of Asian pear and quince and a splash of Marsala. Our dinner was ready before we opened the bottle, and we didn’t know that we were in for a surprise.
That’s was our happenstance moment because we found out that quince was one of the dominant flavors in RMS, and it was a sublime combination with both duck breast and kale.
The Brut’s acidity cut through the duck’s fat and complemented gamey flavors with fruit. Who would’ve thought that kale is an excellent combination with sparkling? In this case, it worked because quince and Asian pear in kale dish matched the flavors of the RMS.
That’s why we called this pairing a jackpot!
Did we tell you that Roco sparkling wines age beautifully? Every time we open a bottle, we are amazed. This time was no exception.
Please share your jackpot pairings with us: expected and not so much. Please comment below and follow us for more pairing adventures and professional non-sponsored reviews.