Wine is good so water is remaining on the table.

— Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)

Barbera d'Asti

This grape has a beautiful deep blue colour, a very juicy pulp and acidity, velvety skin and is firm with very compact grapes. They grow in pyramidal clusters on the vine and are high yielding grapes, not only for new varieties, but also for great long-ageing wine. It is a rich, tangy, full-bodied wine characterised by an intense ruby-red colour which graduates towards garnet red with age and whose flavours become more balanced and appealing as it matures.

 

Light tannin and high acidity result in an intense fruity bouquet of prune, ripe cherry, blackberry and raspberry. If it is consumed earlier in the ageing process, it has a dry taste with good acidity, pleasantly fresh, flowery and fragrant that can be quite easily paired with most dishes.

 

This wine is typical of Montferrat in Piedmont and is paired excellently with rich dark meats, mushrooms, herbs, herbaceous cheeses like blue cheese, higher tannin foods like root vegetables and braised greens. The idea here is that the high acidity in the wine will make a rich, fatty or high tannin dish complete. Moreover, it accompanies pleasantly with traditional Piedmontese medium-aged cheeses such as Toma, Murazzano, Raschera etc.

Grignolino of Monferrato Casalese

Vinification by single-variety, the Grignolino produces beautiful bright garnet red wines with light orange hues and has good transparency. Delicate to the nose with floral, spicy and fruity notes, while with the palate it exudes a fresh, dry and fruity taste with pronounced tannins. Ideal temperatures for serving it are between 15 to 18 ° C using ISO glasses or goblets.

 

Its refined class permits it to be easily paired with most dishes. However, optimal combinations occur with typical Piedmontese dishes, especially with food preparations such as hot appetizers, cold cuts, egg pasta, meat risottos and vegetable soups. In particular, there are excellent bread- pairing combinations like the “panada” (stale bread soaked in a hot liquid), the Pavese soup (chicken broth and beef, stale bread, egg, and parmesan cheese), Valdostane soups, dumplings and Neapolitan pizza. As with second dishes, it combines well with red meats, poultry and rabbit.

 

The tannins make it particularly suitable to fried foods such as the following traditional dishes: the Piedmontese “fritto misto” ( deep fried assorted meat combined with deep fried semolina and amaretti), the friciulin (a typical local meatball made mostly from herbs) with vegetables and the Ligurian frisceu (also called cuculli that are savoury pancakes) to the latest combinations such as fish, vegetable or anchovy tempura.

 

In the summer it is preferably served cool; it is an excellent aperitif and combines well with fish dishes including salmon, dogfish, fried sardines or anchovies.

 

Last but not least, the Grignolino can be experienced with countless food while not forgetting the predecessors of modern fast food: Ligurian buns, Apennine tortillas, Ligurian-Piedmont farinata or the lovely Valtellina buckwheat cheese fritters called “Sciatt”.