Australia’s Most Comprehensive Range of Lehmann Glassware 🥂🍷🍸 Shop Today
Australia’s Most Comprehensive Range of Lehmann Glassware 🥂🍷🍸 Shop Today
Eager to whip up easy and fabulous champagne and food pairings that won’t break the bank? We’ve got your next apéro hour sorted with simple and much-loved morsels!
As we like to say, where there is food for your plate and champagne for your palate, happiness lives on! Below, you’ll find one of our favourite recipes and champagne pairings for effortless hosting and entertaining at home, no matter the season, weather or occasion.
Translating to ‘spike’, a pintxo is a small snack on a stick, such as a toothpick or skewer, arguably made famous in the gastronomical coastal town of Donostia-San Sebastián in the Spanish Basque region bordering France. Similar to tapas, pintxos are served as appetisers, often accompanied with a drink. Every evening, in the convivial hours before lunch and dinner, pintxos bars bustle with locals and visitors eager to whet their appetites. Each bar offers classic pintxos along with their own house specialities, all piled high along the counter like a colourful, culinary wonderland just begging to be explored.
Of all the delicious pintxo, the most iconic and quintessentially Basque is the Gilda. Named after the sultry femme fatale played by Rita Hayworth in the 1946 film of the same name, the Gilda is said to be invented at a pintxos bar in San Sebastián around the same time. A simple and visually appealing pintxo of plump olive, oily anchovy and pickled pepper, the Gilda is typically devoured in a single bite, delivering a punchy hit of flavour that is just as striking as its namesake: bold, strong and salty, with just a little kick of spice to keep you hooked.
Ingredients
Oil-packed Spanish anchovies, such as those by Ortiz or Cuca
Pitted manzanilla olives or green olives, drained
Pickled guindilla peppers or mildly hot peppers, drained
Extra virgin olive oil
Wooden skewers, such as a cocktail stick or toothpick
Instructions
Prepare the peppers by trimming the stems. They should be no longer than a thumb, so cut the longer peppers to size if required.
Take one end of an anchovy fillet and thread it just past the tip of the skewer.
Follow with a pepper, pierced neatly through the middle.
Fold the anchovy over the pepper and thread it again, then follow with the olive.
Finish by looping the final end of the anchovy snugly around the olive. The anchovy should form an ‘S’ shape, weaving between and around the pepper and olive.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have a delectable serving plate of voluptuous, curvy Gildas. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil to keep the pintxos from darkening.
Have some fun with it and tweak the recipe to your liking!
Choose a dry and mineral-driven champagne or gastronomic champagne rosé. The briny Gilda will complement the minerality of Blanc de Blancs champagnes, while the herbaceous olive will play beautifully with the textural and savoury charm of a champagne rosé, delivering a truly epicurean experience.
I can’t wait for you to try out these pairings and discover even more about champagne in my book!
The magic of this pairing lies in contrast and balance. Champagne’s naturally high acidity cuts through the oiliness of the anchovy, while its fine bubbles lift the salt and savoury intensity of the olive. The gentle heat of the guindilla pepper brings everything into focus, making each sip feel refreshing rather than heavy.
This is exactly why champagne excels at the table: it doesn’t compete with food, it sharpens it.
In Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons, I explore this principle in depth, showing how champagne can be one of the most versatile wines for everyday eating and entertaining.
In my book Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons, I share practical, approachable ideas for pairing champagne with everyday dishes, perfect for home cooks, hosts, and curious drinkers alike.
👉 Order the book on my website or Booktopia.com.au or Amazon.com.au
For USA readers, click here: Amazon.com
If you enjoy simple, elegant food and wine pairings like this one, you’ll find many more ideas in my book Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons— from apéro favourites to full meals, all designed to make champagne feel effortless and inviting.
Santé et bon appétit!
Sally
Sally Hillman is a grower champagne specialist, champagne educator and the author of Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons Sally’s long-standing love affair with French culture, her impressive command of the French language, and her deep knowledge and enthusiasm for all facets of champagne have shaped her career. Her expertise was recognised in 2018 when she was a finalist in the prestigious Vin de Champagne Awards, organised by the Australian Bureau du Champagne.
Sally Hillman’s debut book is a sensory celebration of champagne, French culinary culture, and effortless entertaining.
Discover 40+ French-inspired recipes, seasonal champagne pairings, beautifully crafted maps of the Champagne region, and timeless hosting inspiration — all in one refined, accessible guide.
The essential companion and perfect gift for the modern host.
