With Christmas at the door, dinners, feasts, and long lunches with the family are lined up for the holiday season. The right wine pairing makes a meal special and sophisticated, giving it a gourmet touch and creating a convivial family atmosphere with the simple pop of a cork.
In Casa Coppo, we like to celebrate Christmas with sparkling wines that are made for festivity and sharing. Each year, we choose unique pairings that highlight the food and emphasize the characteristics of our wines.
Here are a few examples that we’ve experimented with that have been our favorites. These aren’t complicated or time consuming recipes, but food that can be enjoyed right away, with just a quick trip to the oven or none at all!
Luigi Coppo
Luigi Coppo is our freshest and most straightforward Metodo Classico, a blanc de noir made of 100% pinot nero grapes. Its notes of white fruit and its dry, savory flavor make it the perfect pairing for appetizers and fish.
PAIRING
We like to pair this with a nice dish of small, fried fish, like fried fresh anchovies, which exalts the aromas of the Luigi Coppo.
Clelia Coppo
Our Clelia is a special wine, a Metodo Classico Rosé made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot nero. It undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle without the addition of sugar: this is called the metodo ancestrale, or “ancestral method,” the first ever to be used in sparkling wine production. After 36 months on its lees, Clelia takes on aromas of fresh plum, jujube, and currant with light notes of bread crust. On the palate, it is soft and mineral.
PAIRING
Raw fish pairs perfectly with Clelia Coppo, such as oysters, which are creamy and deliciously fatty in the winter months.
Riserva Coppo
Our Metodo Classico Riserva Coppo is certainly our most important sparkling wine, obtained by a blend of pinot nero and chardonnay. After fermentation in barrique, it is aged for 48-60 months bottles in contact with the lees. This method gives it a profound and complex elegance that deserves just as fine of a food pairing.
PAIRING
For the Riserva Coppo, we tried pairing one of the most prized and appreciated saltwater fish, the turbot. Its succulent and delicate flesh balances perfectly with the powerful, structured body of our Riserva. Turbot, one of winter’s best fish, is excellent cooked in the oven with potatoes.
Piero Coppo
Piero is the jewel of Casa Coppo. Produced in a very limited number of bottles, it is our Metodo Classico meant for important occasions, only to be opened after years of aging. Creamy, austere, but incredibly elegant, it merits a refined and delicious dish.
PAIRING
We like to pair Piero with foie gras, a true delicacy that, if cooked properly, is a match made in heaven!
Riserva Famiglia Chardonnay
To conclude our quick menu of Christmas food and sparkling wine pairing, we can’t leave out the Chardonnay. This Riserva di Famiglia Chardonnay represents a true diamond in our production. It is also produced in very limited numbers and then only in the best years. It is distinguished by its notes of exotic fruit, chamomile, and cedar, revealing intense mineral notes on the palate.
PAIRING
The food pairing for this Chardonnay must be an important dish, too. We suggest grilled lobster, which has a sweetness and creaminess that pair perfectly with the savory notes of the wine.
