Summer Salad Wine Pairing: Mind Blowing Fig, Prosciutto & Burrata Salad

Summer Salad Wine Pairing

I’m having a summer salad wine pairing moment. A big one.

A few days ago, I had a craving for figs and burrata cheese, and started clicking around on the Pinterest, for summer salad wine pairing ideas.

And, in what might be a Pinterest speed record, I came across this recipe and immediately stopped clicking: Fig, Prosciutto and Burrata Cheese Salad. Something that looks that good has to taste that good, right?? My recipe search was over.

Summer Seasonal Flavors

If you’ve never had the guilty pleasure of burrata cheese, you need to fix that immediately. Burrata cheese is fresh mozzarella wrapped around a pocket of even more fresh mozzarella mixed with fresh cream.

Burrata means “buttered” in Italian. Mmmm, buttered cheese. The play on textures is genius.

And figs! I love fresh figs. Summer is the perfect time to harvest fresh figs. All you need is find yourself a fig tree.

Fresh figs are glorious. Combining them with burrata cheese and prosciutto is approaching otherworldly!

How To Pair Wine With Fig Prosciutto & Burrata

This summer salad is so good, it could be both, a summer wedding salad and at your next backyard BBQ.

But what wine to pair with it? There’s a whole lot of different tastes and textures on my plate:

Peppery arugula
Silky, creamy burrata cheese
Salty prosciutto

Sweet fresh figs (my grocery store only had green figs, which muted the color palate a little, but definitely not the taste!)
Acidic balsamic vinegar
Very sweet fig compote (if you’re not a fan of overly sweet stuff, cut back on the compote)

I looked at this plate, and my first (and really only) pairing thought was Bubbles! And I just happened to have an open bottle of Champagne in my fridge.

And while it wasn’t a bad pairing at all, I can’t help but wonder if Bubbles with a touch of sweetness (maybe a Moscato d’Asti or even a Prosecco) would have been a better choice.

What Wine Pairs Well With Salads?

A low acid white, like a Chardonnay, with a vinaigrette, will not allow you to taste the wine at all. But, pour a tart white like a Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño, and the vinegar in the dressing will showcase the fruitiness of the wine.

Don’t discount red wine for summer salad pairings. High acid reds with herbal and floral notes, like those made from Barbera, Sangiovese, Gamay and cooler climate Pinot Noir, go well with balsamic vinaigrette as well as salads with meat, cheese, nuts and dried fruit.

But, when in doubt, grab Grüner Veltliner or Sauvignon Blanc.

The creamy dressing of a Caesar along with the salty anchovies a can stand up to either a full bodied white wine or light bodied red (chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, gamay, pinot grigio, Champagne or Prosecco).

A fruity white has what it takes. Sauvignon Blanc, with its own complex, garden like bouquet and flavors, does much better than most. You can also pair an acidic red wine with balsamic vinaigrettes, salads, meat, cheese, nuts, and dried fruit.

Which wine(s) will you pair with salad your next salad?

Cheers!

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Summer Salad Wine Pairing: Mind Blowing Fig, Prosciutto & Burrata Salad