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Tips to upgrade your casual gathering

Upgrading your next gathering doesn’t have to require a lot of time or stress. The addition of some high-quality sparkling wine will make an everyday gathering more festive and more memorable. (copyright Syda Productions/stock.Adobe.com)

Tips to upgrade your casual gathering

(StatePoint) From special occasions to simple get togethers, you can upgrade any gathering without a lot of extra work by serving delicious pairings of small bites and sparkling wines.

Be advised that when it comes to great bubbly, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a great bottle. For a delicious, wallet-friendly option, try serving Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine made using the same traditional method as Champagne.

One Cava producer offering top-quality sparkling wines is Poema, a family-owned producer that farms its grapes sustainably. To help you plan your next gathering, check out the winery’s suggested food pairings for some of its top wines. These will have you covered for each course of the meal:

Getting things started
Remember that guests often arrive hungry, so have your appetizer spread ready to go. Look for a sparkling wine that’s versatile enough to pair nicely with most tapas and light appetizers, such as Poema Cava Brut ($12.99), a sparkler boasting fresh citrus, mineral and Granny Smith apple aromas with toasted bread notes.

Before your guests sit down, start them off with this Brut-style Cava alongside favorite light bites such as roasted potatoes, olive tapenade, jamón and Manchego cheese served with fresh crusty bread, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp fritters or even oysters and other seafood.

The main course
Consider a wine that pairs well with different main course options, such as Poema Cava Rosé ($12.99), which features fresh notes of strawberry, raspberry and rose petals and a balanced acidity that keeps the wine light and fresh.

Whether you’re serving a casual meal of build-your-own sandwiches with cold cuts and lightly smoked fish, or you’re barbecuing lean meats, this versatile wine will work for many casual style meals. For an added bonus, consider a picnic style theme with a checkered table cloth.

A fizzy sweet finish
Don’t disappoint those with a sweet tooth by neglecting the dessert course. Whether you’re serving creamy custard, sponge cake, chocolate truffles or brownies, consider pairing with the sweeter-tasting Poema Cava Dulce ($12.99), which can be enjoyed alongside dessert, or served alone as a refreshing aperitif.

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