Throughout this trip, I have had the opportunity to try many wonderful foods and wines, and recently I have learned how to properly pair foods with wines. Although I am still attempting to perfect my wine pairing skills, I feel that Food and Wine class has given me a firm foundation on which to learn. I will now share some examples of the foods and wines that I have paired throughout my time in Italy:
Food: Rocket salad with beef slices and roasted tomatoes // Wine: Chianti Le Cicale di Vincigliata Bibi Graetz 2017 // Location: Ristorante Strega in Rome
This wine is an IGT. The varietal is Sangiovese grapes from the region of Fiesole. The wine was a deep red and had long legs. I could sense fruity aromas of strawberries, cherries and raspberries. The non-fruit aromas included cloves and other herbs. The fruit tastes included a strong sense of cherries as well as strawberries. I could also taste cloves and spices and oak. The wine had low levels of earth. The wine was very dry and had medium levels of tannin. The wine was well balanced and had a medium finish. I liked the wine, especially for its good balance and dryness (my favorite element of a wine). Overall, the wine paired decently with the meal. The dryness of the wine brought out the umami of the meat; however, next time, I would probably choose a slightly sweeter red wine to pair with the meal in order to better compliment the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Food: Pasta stuffed with spinach and topped with parmesan cream sauce and Umbricelli with parmesan cream sauce topped with truffle // Wine: Lattidine 42 Umbria IGP Pinot Grigio 2018 // Location: Poggio di Orvieto
This wine is an IGP. The varietal is exclusively pinot grigio grapes and comes from the Umbria region. The wine was a light yellow color, practically a paper color. Its fruity aromas included apple, pear, and pineapple. Its non-fruit aromas included asparagus and green pepper. The wine was fairly dry (somewhere in between dry and semi-sweet). The fruit tastes included a strong sense of pear and apple. The non-fruit taste that was the strongest was the asparagus. The wine had medium levels of earth. It was light, refreshing, and well-balanced. It had a long finish. The acidity was medium. The wine was one of the best white wines I have ever had. I really enjoyed it overall. I think it paired very nicely with the pasta dish(es). They were rich, creamy, and full of dairy and vegetables, which made the white wine fare perfectly with the pastas. I would definitely pair this dish with this wine again in the future.
Food: Truffle flan with toast and garnish // Wine: Vitalonga Rosé // Location: Vitalonga
This Rosé is unique to Vitalonga because it is the first organically certified wine of the estate. The wine is a light rose color, and it had medium legs. The fruit aromas include raspberry, grapefruit, and pomegranate. The non-fruit aromas include flowers, especially red rose. The wine was fairly dry, especially for a Rosé, and I loved that about it. The fruit flavors were very heavy on grapefruit and raspberry. The non-fruit flavors were floral, and I could also sense some type of vegetable, perhaps cucumber or some other light, fresh vegetable. There was very little tannin in the wine, and it had low to medium levels of earth. The wine had a full body and a long finish, which made for a very fresh tasting wine. Overall, I really liked it, which was rare for me because I am usually not a big fan of Rosé. This Rosé was more dry than I am used to in others; therefore, I enjoyed it. The acidity was probably a medium. I think that overall, the wine paired well with the truffle flan, which was light, cheesy, and delicious. The flavors complimented each other well, and the wine cleansed the palate with each sip.
Food: Spaghetti al Ragu // Wine: La Capraia Umbria Sangiovese // Location: Trattoria La Grotta
This wine is an IGP and is made of the Sangiovese varietal. It has medium-slow legs, and a bright red appearance. The aroma of the wine was very fruity, and the fruit aromas included strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. The non-fruit aromas included oak and perhaps a hint of smoke and leather. I could also sense some spices, such as cloves. The wine had the taste of red berries as well, especially cherries. It was a dry wine with a small touch of sweetness. The wine had a medium body and medium finish. The wine also had a medium-high tannin and a medium-high acidity. I enjoyed the wine overall and appreciated the amount of dryness to the wine. I think that the wine paired well with the spaghetti overall. The flavor of the beef definitely complimented the spiciness of the wine, and the wine had just enough sweetness to compliment the tomato sauce flavor. I would pair this dish with this wine again.
Food: Molten chocolate cake with raspberry ganache // Wine: Vitalonga Phiculle // Location: Vitalonga
This wine is an IGT from Umbria. It is made up of the grape varietals Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The appearance of the wine is a dark ruby red. The wine had a lot of legs. The fruit aromas of the wine included currant, black cherries. The non-fruit aromas included balsamic, spices, cloves, and smoke. It was a dry wine and had a high amount of tannin. The wine was full-bodied, and the acidity was medium. The finish was long, and the body was full. The wine was overall very refreshing. I really enjoyed it; I thought the flavor of balsamic was unique, and the wine had a sort of richness to it that pleased my palate. With that being said, I don’t think I would have chosen to pair this wine with the chocolate cake. I think that desserts should be most properly paired with dessert wine, and the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. This wine was definitely not sweeter than the dessert; therefore, next time I would choose a sweeter wine. Perhaps a nice Vin Santo!
Food: Pasta with cream sauce, asparagus, and bacon // Wine: Vitalonga Chardonnay // Location: Vitalonga
This appearance of this wine is straw yellow. The fruit aromas of this wine include ripe tropical fruit, especially pineapple and perhaps some mango. There are also some lighter notes of citrus fruit such as grapefruit and lemon. The non-fruit aromas of the wine include vanilla and hazelnut. The wine had a nice medium body. It was well balanced and very refreshing. There were no tannins in the wine. The fruit tastes of this wine included pineapple and grapefruit. The non-fruit tastes of this wine included hazelnut and vanilla. The acidity on the wine was medium-high. The finish was long and left a pleasant taste. Overall, I really liked the wine and it was one of my favorite whites that I have had. It really refreshed me and cleansed my palate. I also think that the wine paired nicely with the food. The pasta, which was light and creamy, paired nicely with the light wine and tropical fruit notes.
Ciao dall'Italia 