Popcorn, Popcorn and More Popcorn. And Wine.

I’ll admit, I do write and talk a whole lot about popcorn; it’s my all-time favorite food for so many reasons.  I wrote about how my husband and I spend each Valentine’s Day inventing fun toppings for popcorn to enjoy during movie watching and time for just us (Valentine’s Day Perfection: Brut Rosé and Popcorn for Two), and how spiced popcorn pairs really well with Chardonnay in my article, Pair This: Cornerstone Cellars 2011 Chardonnay and Spiced Popcorn.

A trio of tasty flavored popcorn. Gaslamp’s Holiday Cookie and Apple Crumble Pie and Smartfood’s Kettle Corn

My top two reasons for loving popcorn as much as I do are: 1) it pairs exceptionally well with both still and sparkling wine or juice, and 2) it’s the perfect mildly flavored, bite-sized, crunchy snack that is the ultimate host to a roster of flavors that works in an impeccable symbiotic relationship.  I could go on – it’s a snack that’s not too filling, and it can easily be transported to parties or bagged up for plane, train and road trips.  It’s a healthy, low calorie goody, too; however, that’s before it’s doused with the deluge of flavors that make it so incredibly yummy – and addictive.

Flavored popcorn popped up in all the markets this past fall.

Flavored popcorn’s popularity must be on the rise – I noticed something interesting happening on the snack shelves of many markets this past Fall: popcorn was available in a plethora of flavors, from chocolate drizzled and mixed with granola to cinnamon brown sugar and even Sriracha.  The usual seasonal Kettle Corn had taken a new twist with a multitude of flavors.

The sinful but divine Popcorn Indiana Drizzlecorn Black and White

The easily recognizable Smartfood brand came out with two unbelievably addictive popcorn flavors: Kettle Corn and Cinnamon Brown Sugar.  Not too long after I tried the Smartfood flavored popcorn, I discovered two new brand names of popcorn that offered some of the tastiest I’ve ever had: Popcorn Indiana and Gaslamp Popcorn Co.

My obsession of pairing bubbles with popcorn continues year in, year out.

Popcorn Indiana’s Cinnamon Sugar satiated my cravings once Smartfood’s Cinnamon Brown Sugar had disappeared from the shelves.  Then it was their sinful Drizzled Black and White Kettlecorn (kettlecorn drizzled with dark and white chocolate) – oh my.  About a week after exploring the dazzling flavors of Popcorn Indiana, I caught sight of a trio of flavored popcorn options from Gaslamp Popcorn Co.: Pumpkin Spice Pie, Holiday Cookie and Apple Crumble Pie.  Pairing popcorn with wine jumped to a whole new level.

The slight sweetness to Kramers Celebrate Muller Thurgau is perfect with Smartfoods Kettlecorn

Gaslamp’s Pumpkin Spice Pie, Holiday Cookie and Apple Crumble Pie became my trio of party snacks that had party guests and party hosts oohing and ahhing over their delightful flavors – and pairing them with wine/juic, especially sparkling juice from the orangina drink business, was just plain fun.

Much to my dismay, the flavored popcorn I had been reveling in since discovering them several months ago, was not being replenished on the shelves – stock was dwindling down and I took home what was left.  Although their disappearance didn’t come as a complete surprise since they were seasonal flavors, I hadn’t quite thought about what I’d do once they were totally gone.

Domaine Meriwethers Brut is delicious with the Holiday Cookie popcorn.

As I enjoyed a glass of Domaine Meriwether’s new Brut Discovery Cuvee and a bowl of Holiday Cookie flavored popcorn, one of my favorite popcorn and sparkling wine/juice pairings, I realized it would be my last since I had recently taken home what was left on the shelves.  I snapped an Instagram shot of my empty bag of popcorn and wrote about my sadness in parting ways with the ever so delicious Holiday Cookie…and that’s when I discovered WheatWatchersOnline.com (Gaslamp’s flavored popcorn is gluten-free) was having a giveaway of the trio of Holiday Recipe flavors from Gaslamp Popcorn Co. I entered, and a few minutes later I saw a Tweet on Twitter that I had won!

My Instagram shot of my empty bag of the delicious Holiday Cookie popcorn which led me to the Wheat Watchers Online giveaway

While corresponding with @wheatwatchers and @gaslamp_popcorn on Twitter, Gaslamp shared an excellent popcorn and wine pairing infographic with me that I just had to re-share.  These folks not only make great popcorn, but they are totally aware that popcorn is a great match with wine.  Bravo!

The infographic shared via Twitter by Gaslamp Popcorn Co. made me realize these folks know more than just popcorn.

When my winnings arrive, I will be pairing each of the three flavors with their best matched sparkling wines/juices and sharing those matches with you.