Wine with Leslie: Italian wine for the rest of the summer's meals
Pic: Movimento Turismo del Vino
I’m off to Italy this week, in my head at least. I’m determined to pretend I live in a sunny climate and I refuse to hide from the rain anymore.Â
Last weekend between the rain showers I put up the gazebo which should allow us to sit outside for at least some of the month of August.Â
If necessary I shall employ the services of our brazier (bought in HomeBase for around €20) to help improve the ambient temperature!
My suggestions this week are all Italian and suited to summer foods - think light pasta, salumi plates, and fish and light meats grilled on the barbecue with lemon and olive oil.Â
I do however include a rogue Bagnum from the Northern Rhône Valley from one of France’s best natural producers.Â
Bagnums have appeared here before and are essentially a magnum-sized ‘bag in box’ wine without the box.
There is an argument that the bagnum format, despite being single-use, is better for the environment as it uses less energy to produce than glass.Â
Either way, it is a bit of a genius invention and can sit happily in the door of your fridge or on your kitchen counter.Â
I like a chilled red wine in the summertime and soft Rhônes or Italian reds such as Montepulciano, Refosco and even Primitivo can work particularly well.Â
I even chill better wine such as Valpolicella Ripasso (Zonin Ripasso recommended below), and I need to chill those sweeter wines from the supermarket that are made with partially dried grapes.
I love an Amarone sometimes but I do despair a little of many of the sweeter ‘appassimento’ style wines that are now on every wine shelf, often with up to 9 grammes of residual sugar.Â
There is no denying their popularity however so if someone brings one to your house I recommend you serve it chilled or make some Sangria.
For whites, I recommend a delicious Grillo, a rare organic Malvasia-Fiano blend, and a Pecorino, a grape I really should include more often.Â
Pecorino has nothing to do with the cheese but is native to the Marche and Abruzzo regions.Â
Pecorino almost disappeared after the war years when producers were looking for high-yielding varieties like Trebbiano that would help bring in some cash.Â
Pecorino by contrast is low yielding and has actual flavour and texture. Saluti!
I drank this recently in Crudo Restaurant in Sandymount and it was a perfect match for the summery food we ate including Calamari.Â
Fragrant and floral with ripe yellow peach notes and some citrus acidity to refresh the palate and to cut through the buttery richness of perhaps a Spaghetti Carbonara or some BBQ grilled prawns.
Rosso Piceno is one of my go-to wines whenever I’m in a restaurant - this juicy Sangiovese-Montepulciano blend is a great match for all kinds of food from BBQ to pasta.Â
Ripe black cherry and soft plum fruits balanced by acidity and a touch of structure, with a palate-cleansing cherry stone finish.
A blend I’ve not encountered before but both grapes are found throughout Southern Italy so it makes sense.Â
Fiano always adds some structure and heft to a wine and here its nutty citrus character balances the honeyed floral Malvasia.Â
Honeysuckle and pear fruits, textured and rounded with a zesty lemony-fresh finish.
Big brother to Valpolicella and younger brother to Amarone and made from the same grapes (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara).Â
For Ripassa the young wine is re-fermented on the lees of Amarone to take on extra texture and richness.Â
Dark cherry aromas, lively soft fruits with more cherries on the palate - supple and juicy.Â
Zonin’s Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (€14.99) is also recommended.
Dropping this 1500ml rogue Rhône red in among the Italians as it is too good to miss - mostly Grenache but includes a mix of grapes (including white) co-fermented on natural yeasts.Â
Dark garnet with crushed berry scents, ripe red/black fruits with spice accents and finishes with the same tang found in a mouthful of Irish raspberries. Will work well chilled.
The new vintage of this wine has just begun appearing in shops and it is even better than usual. I love Pecorino and this producer was instrumental in its revival in Abruzzo. This has floral lime and lemon aromas with herbal touches, textured and balanced on the palate with good acidity and ripe fruits and a pleasing citrus kick on the finish.
I featured the excellent Skellig Six18 Gin last year but they now have a couple of good whiskies in their range, all finished in Cahersiveen. The Single Pot Still sold out too quickly for me to mention it so I’m recommending this blend instead which is perfect for cocktails or on the rocks.
This blend of Pot Still and Grain whiskey began life in Bourbon Cask and was finished in PX Sherry casks on the Atlantic coast. Honey and allspice aromas, smooth on the palate with toffee and heather honey flavours followed by almonds and fruitcake, with a peppery finish.
