ITALIAN WINES' VIBRANCY A FINE FIT WITH CUISINE
When it comes to wine and food, mentioning the word “Italian” is likely to draw a crowd faster than a warm piazza on a Saturday afternoon. There's something about Italy's cuisine that does not intimidate the average food and wine enthusiast in the way some countries' food and wine traditions do.
Perhaps it's the Italian propensity for showing up late and staying late that sets a tone for informality. More likely, it is the simplicity of the food and the clarity of flavours served on one plate. Often one or two flavours dominate, sometimes three but rarely more, and it is the mantra of simplicity that makes the dishes so attractive.
The pandemic has kept us close to home for over a year, and I know many of you have been experimenting in the kitchen and brushing up on your wine knowledge. If you have been watching the Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy series on CNN, you probably have already planned your next trip to be to Italy. For now, your choices are limited to home or takeout, and that's where the Italian way of cooking comes in.
If Tucci teaches us anything, it is the ease with which he explores Italy's very local food and wine while effortlessly blending in the people's story and the culture of the region that shapes it. We suggest you can do the same with a little research and planning in your own home.
I'll leave the recipes and reading lists to you. If you need a jump-start, watch one of the episodes online, but we can help with some menu ideas and the wines.
Thankfully, B.C. has a very strong selection of Italian wines in retail stores to help transport you to that small piazza in Bologna or a patio overlooking the Tuscan countryside. The rest is up to you.
To get dinner underway, think about serving a selection of antipasti with sparkling wine. Prosecco is the current darling of Italians, but a high-quality sparkler can charm any crowd. A super value is Ferrari N/V Brut Metodo Classico $33.99, a stylish blanc de blanc fizz that brings green apple, honey and almonds to the nose and palate. Like the great Italian dishes, it has a simplicity that makes it complex.
Make pasta your primi course and keep it simple. You can buy fresh pasta at most specialty markets. Decide on the saucing, and you are ready to go. Linguine with pesto is both satisfying and easy to prepare, and it's wine-friendly. Think about matching this dish with white wine, and our suggestion is Argiolas 2017 Costamolino Vermentino di Sardegna, $17.99 — delightfully crisp floral, ginger notes, bitter quince and ripe yellow apples.
From much farther north, Rocca Bernarda 2017 Ribolla Gialla, $25.99 is awash in green apples, lychee, lemon, fennel and wet stone. For the dinner discussion, the winery has a history that dates back to 1559.
For the secondi or main course, Bistecca alla Fiorentina could not be simpler to prepare. Rub the steak with good olive oil and generously season it with salt and pepper. Toss it on a preheated grill and prepare it to your taste. Contorni or vegetable dishes are served alongside secondi dishes. You can grill the vegetables ahead of time to let the dry heat concentrate the natural sugars and give them a bold and rustic look. All you need now are some big reds.
2018 Le Volte dell' Ornellaia, $32.99 has all the requirements to take on the bistecca with its mix of two-thirds Merlot, 20 per cent Sangiovese and 12-14 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon. Equally up to the task is the Antinori 2018 Pèppoli Chianti Classico, $26.99, with its black and red cherry, earthy, woodsy flavours and polished tannins.
If Tucci has taught his viewers anything, it is to pick up a history book before you eat and add some extra depth to an already terrific story. Finally, you may want to consider one or all of a dolce, caffe and digestivo to finish off the night. After all, the days are getting longer.