A pizza revolution has taken over New York and is quickly moving to the West coast and surely, everywhere in between. As the second-best-known pizza town (the boot across the pond being the first), New York has its share of historic pie stations, but there are new kids in town throwing the establishment off kilter.

With impeccably thin crusts, blistery surfaces and carefully-sourced toppings, artisanal pizza demands wine beyond basic, fruity reds. Pair this perfect pizza with a wine you want to shine, rather than a simple quaffer. Extra thought can take your bite from “Just OK” to the next level, like the pairing nirvana I recently experienced at artisanal pizza pioneer: Franny’s in Brooklyn.

During their 6-year tenure, critics and pizza snobs alike have praised Franny’s as some of the best pizza in town, above landmarks like Grimaldi’s and Di Fara.  Much of the kitchen at Franny’s left Thomas Keller’s Per Se to join the venture, that’s how serious this pizza is. Part of the pizza pleasure is the fact that they hand-source ingredients from individual local suppliers. Their web site lists every source from Brooklyn ricotta to Roscoe ramps. I was delighted to see as much thought in the wine list, as the pizza ingredients.

After ordering a mouthwatering pie with buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, oregano and hot peppers, the manager’s suggested wine pairing surprised me. He suggested a white with a bit of sparkle, a Ca’ de Noci Querciole from Emilia-Romagna. I yielded to his guidance, despite my doubts at how pizza and sparkling wine might fare.

I must tell you, between the sharp, spicy pizza and the bubbly white it was one of the most mind-blowing bites in my history of eating. I ate slowly, savoring the dense, salty, creamy cheese with the heat of the peppers. Washing it down with an effervescent sip made the dance of flavor in that pizza, all the more lively. An easy red would have shamed this complex pizza. Franny’s won me over with this divine pizza and sparkling wine pairing. I wondered how my friend’s tomato and garlic pizza might have fared with a Lambrusco? We’ll have to try on our next visit.

I am sure we’ve all shared a pitcher of the other sparkling beverage with pizza: beer. So why not sparkling wine? I urge you to put down the Chianti on your next pizza outing, and try some sparkling wine.

My dinner at Franny’s was a thoughtful pizza pairing like none other. With this new style of pizza, I call for new experiments in pairing.  Let’s bring our pizza pairings to the next level, shall we? What is your favorite wine with pizza? Have you tried any surprising pairings lately?

By the way, for a quick look at some of the best pies in New York, this is your bible.

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