As the co-founder of Good Clean Wine, I’ve spent years studying how wine pairs with food. I recently became a caviar sommelier and was surprised and excited to learn about wines to pair with caviar. One of the biggest surprises is how beautifully Good Clean White Toscano Bianco IGT 2024 pairs with caviar.
Bright, crisp, dry, and unoaked, it has the acidity and mineral backbone that caviar desires. The saline edge from Vermentino grown near the Tyrrhenian Sea mirrors the oceanic notes in the caviar. The citrus lift refreshes the palate between bites. The subtle floral aromatics elevate without overpowering.
I love to serve caviar with homemade blini instead of the overpriced, dry ones from the store. It takes next to nothing to make these lightly golden caviar pillows. Here's my failsafe recipe.
Classic Caviar Blini
Makes about 50-60 mini blini
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (cooled)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Method
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, melted butter, and sour cream.
- Gently combine wet and dry ingredients. Do not over mix (small lumps are fine).
- Let the batter rest for 20 minutes.
To Cook
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low.
- Lightly butter the pan with unsalted butter.
- Drop 1 teaspoon of batter per blini.
- Cook until small bubbles form on top (1-2 minutes).
- Flip and cook for another minute.
- They should be pale golden, not dark brown.
- Cool completely before enjoying with caviar.
To store or freeze
Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan to cool so steam doesn’t make them soggy. Once cool, stack them with parchment paper between layers. Store in an airtight container or sip-top bag. These will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.
Blini freeze well for make-ahead hosting. Cool completely, lay in a plastic storage container in a single layer with parchment between layers, seal tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Serve with a small dollop of créme fraîche and a tiny spoonful of caviar. Pair with a chilled glass of Good Clean White for luxurious and celebratory apéro.
Why This Pairing Works
Caviar needs acidity to cut through its richness. Good Clean White brings lift, bright citrus, a clean, mineral body and no oak that does not compete with the caviar. It refreshes.
Good Clean White is:
- Sustainably grown in Maremma Tuscany
- Minimal Intervention
- Produced in small batches
- 3.80 g/L residual sugar (less than 0.56g per 5oz glass)
- 72.8 kcal per 100 ml
Dry. Crisp. Not sweet. Not buttery.
