Wine with Leslie: Top-notch wines to match traditional Italian cuisine
Some wine selections that can cope with strong flavours such as fried meatballs and classic Venetian sardines in a sweet-sour sauce
Italy... just saying the word conjures images of delicious food, beautiful scenery and beautiful people. Italian food is so dedicated to local fresh ingredients that it is difficult to reproduce outside Italy but it can be done.
Italy... just saying the word conjures images of delicious food, beautiful scenery and beautiful people. Italian food is so dedicated to local fresh ingredients that it is difficult to reproduce outside Italy but it can be done.
Sicily’s Catarratto grape is a grape to watch. It doesn’t have the best of reputations as it is high yielding and rather neutral if left to its own devices (it is used for Marsala).
Careful winemaking however can produce fragrant delicious wines like this — white peach, orange zest and lemon oil aromas, textured and creamy on the palate with herb notes and a crisp finish. Delicioza.
An organic Pinot Grigio from the same family that makes the excellent Musella Amarone. This is reduced from €16 and has a salmon pink hue, aromas of red currants, pomegranates and rosehip — textured and ripe with lemon and orange peel-tinged acidity to balance out the floral-fruity notes.
If only more Pinot Grigio was allowed to ripen and made into wines like this.
Chiaretto comes from the hillsides around Lake Garda and uses Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella as you would find in Valpolicella, Bardolino or Amarone.
Bright cherry and floral aromas, lively and supple with zingy acidity and pink grapefruit citrus edges.
Also worth a try (and a little cheaper) is Campagnola Chiaretto direct from Forrestal Wines forrestal.ie
The small city of Piacenza is half-way between Parma and Milan and in the hillsides around it you will find mainly sparkling wines that perfectly match the rich food of the region.
This is lightly sparkling with roses and red fruit aromas and a bone dry palate — tangy grapefruit acidity and bitter cherry skins on the finish.
Cirò is the main DOC wine in Calabria in the toe of Italy and wines must contain 80% Gaglioppo — this is 100% and is organic and low intervention. Crunchy red fruits with spice hints and some pleasing lively darker fruits on the finish: fruit is balanced by acidity and this has a lightness of touch with not a little elegance.
Their Rosé is also recommended.
Dogliani is just south of Barolo and dedicated to Dolcetto which likely originates here.
This benchmark biodynamic wine sees no oak and is aged in bottle for 3 years prior to release. Dark berry and violet aromas, ripe and fruity on the palate with crunchy blackberry fruits and ripe chocolate-tinged black cherries on the finish. This worked brilliantly with lamb and artichokes at the Fallon & Byrne dinner.
I always look forward to this seasonal cider from the ever-creative Stonewell — I’m a fan of everything they make... even their experimental outings.
Made from a blend of rhubarb wine and Jonagold apple cider with everything sourced in Munster — 2022’s version seems even more fragrant and balanced than previous years.
Rós pours with just a hint of a pale pink hue, rhubarb and custard aromas with lively green apple notes in the background: soft apple and rhubarb fruits hit the palate first with red apple fruits following on and a pleasing zingy finish. As delightful as ever.
