Italian Food and Wine, the Perfect Combination
Italian food with its blend of vegetables and meat along with wine produced from some of the world’s oldest vineyards is a perfect combination. Italian food and wine, if paired properly, will titillate your taste buds and is a culinary connoisseur’s delight. Each of the twenty regions in Italy has its own distinct wine and food culture offering you a diverse range of culinary options.
Pairing Italian Food and Wine is an Art
There is no definitive research that suggests the ideal pairing of Italian food and wine. What tastes good for you might be distasteful to others. It is therefore an art and you can excel in it only when you acquire and update knowledge of the intricacies involved and gain experience. There are certain basic rules to combine Italian food and wine that you should be acquainted with so that the taste of both is enhanced.
Italian wine serves as an ideal appetizer to start your meal. You can choose sparkling wines like the Bellini, Franciacorta, or Prosecco for an aperitif. Vermouth, prepared by distillation of herbs and spices can also be used as a starter and is generally drunk alone.
As a general rule white wines go well with seafood and fish while red wine blends well with meat. Pinot noir and sauvignon blanc combine well with seafood. It is pertinent to remember that an acidic and powerful wine should never accompany a light and delicate dish as the dish will be overpowered by the wine distorting the flavor and taste.
Consume Chianti wine along with tomato-based dishes. If you are eating pasta with tomato sauce it would be ideal to choose pinot grigio as the acerbic taste of tomatoes and wine provides an enjoyable experience. Various chicken dishes, grilled meat, barbecues, and pizza can be accompanied with red wines like merlot and barberra.
Tuscan cuisine involves olive oil, bread, and wine. Tuscan bread is salty and peppery and various preparations like bread soup, salad, and panzanella can be paired with the sangiovese-based wines. Bistecca alla fiorentina is a grilled beef specialty unique to Tuscany. It would be ideal to consume it with vino nobile di montalcino or brunello di montalcino.
Northern Italian region of Piedmont is famous for white truffles and also for its beef, lamb, and rabbit dishes. Truffles is a pungent delicacy that finds a place in most dishes prepared in this region. Sweet wines like Barolo and barbaresco blend will with meat dishes and truffles.
Amarone della Valpolicella, generally referred to as Amarone, is an opulent and luxurious red wine produced in the Veneto region. Amarone is best paired with winter foods like game meats and roasts. It can also be paired with hard cheeses like asiago and parmesan.
You can end your meal with a traditional biscotti or a glass of Tuscany’s sweet dessert wine Vin Santo. A glass of sparkling wine like Moscato d’Asti used as a traditional toasting beverage during Christmas in Piedmont also provides the perfect finish to a scrumptious Italian meal.
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