Most people use sparkling wine for celebratory occasions such as New Years. That’s great, but as a wine to pair with food I think good sparkling wine is under-rated. In particular, sparkling wine is fantastic with fried foods. This is because the palate-cleansing properties of these wines are great for greasy foods which tend to stick. The other day I made fried chicken and paired it with the fantastic Thibaut-Jannison sparkling wine from Virginia. This wine is made by a bonafide Champagne producer who makes this wine in Virginia as a side project. It’s the best sparkling wine made in Virginia I’ve ever tasted, and better than the vast majority even from California. A little more fruit-forward and less yeasty then genuine Champagne, it was a great pairing with the chicken. I know this picture makes you want to try it. And so you can! This wine is availble at both stores. If you want to get really fancy and use real Champagne (ie sparkling wine from Champagne) then do so by all means.
If you want tips on the chicken, just ask me.