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Let’s pour a bit of sparkling wine before we sit down to brunch, shall we?

Wine Pairing Weekend Goes to Brunch
Our Wine Pairing Weekend May theme is Brunch. I’ve been trying to include more easy recipes in my blog posts recently, so I thought: “Omelet, how hard can that be?” As is often the case,  easy and elegant looks may not be so easy to achieve!

If you’d like to see what my other #WinePW buddies came up with, just drop to the bottom of this post!

Omelet with speck and a light peppery arugula salad

Omelets Should be Easy and Elegant,
Sure you can make scrambled eggs, but why not try your hand at an omelet? Here are my key elements of a perfect omelet:

• Eggs are not browned
• Omelet has been rolled, at least a tri-fold, no fair just flopping it in half!
• Fillings are fine, but don’t overdo it

Want some expert technique advice?  Here’s a good summary from Epicurious. OK, so I have a ways to go to achieve omelet nirvana.  I have yet to cook an omelet without browning the eggs too much. Also, my “roll” technique needs some serious practice.  Luckily, the results, although strictly considered failures, have been delicious! Pair that with some nice charcuterie, a bold peppery salad and a glass of bubbly and I’m all set.

Today, my omelet featured some finely grated Comté cheese, sauteed onions and some fresh spring ramps. The charcuterie was speck, and the salad a lightly dressed simple mound of fresh baby arugula.

Glera is the grape used in Prosecco. This wine is made a bit outside the official rules, so it keeps just the name of the grape and holds the more general IGP classification

Bisson Soc. Agricola s.a.s. Glera Marca Trevigiana IGP ($20 at Sunfish Cellars)
Eye: Clear, very pale lemon, listed as frizzante. The actual pressure is closer to spumante (full sparkling), but again, outside the official rules. Fine mousse, but not abundant.
Nose: Clean, reminds me of tart Granny Smith apples with some white flowers behind
Mouth: Dry, tart with high acidity. Medium finish. Flavors continue with tart granny smith (green) apples, very dry, bordering on austere.

From the Rosenthal (importer) website, here:

• No dosage, just 2g/l residual sugar, which in Champagne would be considered Brut nature. Typical Prosecco is off-dry at 12-18 g/l residual sugar.
• Charmat method, higher pressure than normal for frizzante, more typical of spumante, but they want to keep the bottle cap closure.

A pretty sparkling wine makes for an elegant brunch table

Bone Dry Sparkling Wine with Your Omelet?
With its’ off-dry character and lively bubbles, Prosecco is a natural at brunch.  However, this particular bottle has very little residual sugar, so it may be a bit austere for some. I thought it paired very well with the meal, as the cheesy omelet and speck were so rich and savory, they benefitted from the clean, refreshing wine.

Wine Pairing Weekend New Finds
Take a look below for some great ideas for brunch and for wines to match!

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm will post “My Choice for a Casual, Relaxed Brunch……comes in a box!! #WinePW”
•  Cindy from Grape Experiences is posting “Let’s Do Brunch with Blinis and Bellinis” 
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is pairing “Blueberries and Bubbles: Mustikkakeitto + Elderflower-Prosecco Cocktail“ 
• Michelle of Rockin’ Red Blog asks “Bubbles for Breakfast? It Must Be Brunch!“ 
• Lori from Dracaena Wines is sharing “When You Don’t Want a Typical Quiche for Your #WinePW Brunch”” 
• Jill from L’occasion has a few “Fresh American Wines for Brunch.” 
• David from Cooking Chat has “Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese with a Rosé”
• Jeff of Food Wine Click suggests you “Add a Little Sparkle to Your Brunch.” 
• Lauren the Swirling Dervish says that “Spring Brunch: A Trio of Salads with Fresh Wines to Match
• Gwen and Sue of Wine Predator are sharing “May There Be Bubbles for Brunch! Plus Negronis, Strata for #WinePW

You can join the conversation about new wine and food pairings to go with it! Our live #WinePW Twitter Chat will take place this Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. Central Time.