As promised in my last post, this one will feature Italy. I have specifically chosen a charcuterie board of Italian meat & cheeses to go with Italian wine. Specifically, Bel Gioioso’s Aged Asiago cheese, Locatelli’s Pecorino Romano cheese, Fratelli Beretta’s All Natural Prosciutto, and Black Brook Farm Honey Comb. I wanted to keep this simple; however, were I to add anything it would be grapes & olives (they go GREAT with Italian wine). I did not include crackers in the pictures this time. I used Wheat Thins, but whatever you prefer will do fine (just keep them plain). All of these ingredients can be had at the Clinton Hannaford for a reasonable price, well within Billy’s range.
The Italian wine that I would recommend to go with this board would be a Montalcino & a Chianti Classico, specifically La Lecciaia’s Brunello di Montalcino 2015 and Ruffino’s Reserva Dulcale Oro Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2017. Both of these can be purchased at Clinton Wine & Spirits at the high end of Billy’s range or the low end of Steve’s range. If you do not live in the local area any decent Montalcino & Chianti Classico will do, just don’t forget the DOCG. A Gran Selezione Chianti Classico will definitely cost a bit more, so getting one that is not a Gran Selezione would be OK. For the purposes of this board, either wine goes with either cheese; however the Montalcino goes better with the Asiago and the Chianti goes better with the Pecorino.
Why these wines with these cheeses? In general, most all Italian meats & hard cheeses go well with a Sangiovese wine. The Sangio. is a high acid, low body wine (like Pinot Noir); however, unlike Pinot Noir, its taste profile tends more towards cedar, orange peel, and spice (instead of tangy red fruit). Besides pairing perfectly with any tomato based meal, a good Sangio. complements the saltiness of Italian meats & pecorino cheese, especially a Chianti Classico. It is a bit more complex and can handle “aggressive” flavors. The Montalcino is a bit “mellower” (in my opinion) than the Chianti, thus it pairs a bit better with the nuttiness of the aged Asiago. As they are both Sangio.s, they both work with either cheese. I would recommend trying both wines with this cheese board and see what you think. Again, if you just want to try one, either would work.
That’s it for this week’s Post. Next time, I will go back to Italy in another Education blog; covering the central wine regions, including Chianti Classico. Be sure to check it out. Cheers!
One response to “Blog Post #27 – Food & Wine (appetizer)”
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