Should wine be considered part of the MyPlate Food Groups? After all it is made from grapes, and isn’t fruit good for you? The Mediterranean Diet even includes a glass or two of wine each day in the diet plan. As a Registered Dietitian I would never condone drinking wine as part of the recommended food groups and your daily diet plan. That topic would require an entire separate discussion. However wine is often linked with food in various parts of the wine-producing regions of the world. In fact in Italy, wine and food are “married”! In Italy, wine IS food! For those of us who are winelover foodies, It is definitely a marriage made in heaven. If you enjoy wine and food as much as I do, and would like to learn more about this Italian marriage, read on……………..
I recently reacquainted myself with some wine knowledge gained during many years of wine classes but obviously not well remembered – specifically the Sangiovese grape varietal in Italy. A few winelover friends 
eagerly “volunteered” to participate in my Sangiovese re-enlightenment by preparing foods that are known to marry well with Italian Sangiovese wines. As an added bonus, they also agreed to provide many of them and TASTE ALL of them! But first, we needed a little guidance on Italian marriage.
Suggested food pairings for Sangiovese wines
The basic characteristics of Italian Sangioveses are high acidity, substantial tannins, fresh cherry fruit and earthy/herbal scents. Food and Wine Magazine and WineFolly.com recommend the following classic food pairings to complement these characteristics: rare steaks, roasted game, wild boar, rich chicken or mushroom dishes, almost anything with tomato sauce, cured sausages and hard cheeses.
Italy may be half the size of Texas, but it has many different local cooking preferences and traditions. Just like the many regional and local food traditions here in the United States, Italy’s food preferences and cooking style have developed due to geography, history and climate. We were about to taste Sangiovese from 7 of Italy’s 20 regions in our Italian wine and food event; therefore it seemed appropriate to research the difference in their regional cuisine if we wanted to do justice to our marriage.
More laws
Italy has classifications and laws pertaining to food just like those that pertain to their wines. They also fall under regulation by the European Union. Parmigiano cheese, prosciutto and condiments like balsamic vinegar are examples of DOP Denominazione di Origine Protetta or “Protected Designation of Origin” foods or food products. DOP is a certification ensuring that products are locally grown and packaged. It is a guarantee that the food was made by local farmers and artisans. Only DOP products like balsamic vinegar can have the word “traditional” on their labels because they follow local traditions. DOP labels are red and yellow and always include a serial number.
Here is a partial list of certified Italian DOP foods and their origin which can be an entire region or just one tiny village:
- Mozzarella di Bufala – Campania, Lazio, Puglia and Molise – It is really made from milk of water buffalos except when Italian laws are contradictory and allow cow’s milk!
- Balsamic vinegar – Emilia Romagna
- San Marzano tomatoes – Campania
- Olive oil – Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany and Veneto
- Basil – Liguria – It’s from a small town in the province of Genoa.
Pecorino Romano – Lazio, Tuscany and Sardinia- Pecorino Toscano – Tuscany
- Prosciutto – Emilia Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Le Marche, Tuscany, Veneto
- Taleggio – Lombardy, Veneto and Piedmont
IGP Indicazione Geografica Protetta “indication of geographical protection” is another label you may find on Italian products. This certification is less strict than the DOP, but the food must trace back to the geographical origin in at least one phase of production, but not like all phases as in the DOP.
On a side note, United States has some degree of protection for foods grown or produced in a specific region. For example, Vidalia onions must be produced within a certain region around Vidalia, Georgia and “Idaho” and “Grown in Idaho” are registered trademarks for potatoes under the Idaho Potato Commission. A comparison of USDA and FDA regulations with EU regulations would require significant research, so we will not address that topic in this article.
SWFL Winelovers and Foodies pair it up for our “marriage made in heaven”
Armed with DOP knowledge, our Foodies’ research of local regional Italian cuisine and the www.forkandcorkdivine.com “Sangiovese Grapes of Italy” article, our “Cena e Vini” took shape. Our menu and wines transported us through 8 Italian regions, 11 DOCs, 7 DOCGs, 1 IGT and a wine from the island of Corsica. This may sound like a monumental undertaking to the novice, but our seasoned and fearless foodies were up to the challenge once again!
Here are the regions, DOCs and DOCGs represented and some of the suggested food pairings that we incorporated into our menu. Keep in mind that none of our foodies are professional Italian chefs and many of the foods represented cross over a number of regional boundaries.
Toscana
DOCGs : Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Chianti (Colli Sinese), Chianti Classico, Morellino di Scansano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
DOCs : Maremma Toscana, Rosso di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano, Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
IGT: Toscana
Sangiovese food pairings: hard cheeses such as DOP Pecorino, cured meats, anything tomato preferably made with DOP San Marzano tomatoes, legumes (chickpeas) and vegetables
Vin Santo food pairings: Gorgonzola, honey, biscotti, almond cookies
Emilia Romagna : Romagna DOC
Food pairings : DOP Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar
Liguria : Colli di Luni DOC
Food pairings : Pesto alla genovese preferably made with DOP basil
Lombardia : Franciacorta DOCG – Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from the Brescia Province of Lombardia. Perfect for a welcome aperitif at any occasion! Pairs perfectly with DOP Taleggio cheese, apples and honey!
Marche : Rosso Piceno DOC
Food pairings : Porchetta
Molise : Molise DOC
Food pairings : Pasta with local cheeses and often with pork sausage
Sicilia : Etna DOC
Food pairings : Recipes that include tomatoes, olives, capers, lemons and other citrus.
Umbria : Montefalco DOC and Torgiano Rosso DOC
Food pairings : Mushrooms, truffles and pecorino cheese
Corsica : An island in the Mediterranean just 51 miles west of Tuscany and one of the 18 regions of France. The Nielluccio grape is genetically similar to Sangiovese.
Did we have a happy marriage?
I have a new appreciation for Italian Sangiovese wines and their regional differences. Wines from Tuscany are readily available for purchase; however, wines from the other regions – not so much. If you are willing to search out wines from different regions, especially those unfamiliar to you, you will be rewarded by a wonderful tasting experience. The local big-box wine store has quite a large variety and good prices; however you will not always find truly unique wines that are sold in boutique wine shops. Another factor is that many wines from other countries fail to make it across the ocean. The really adventurous winelover in this part of Southwest Florida has to be willing to travel and search out those boutique wine shops in other areas, and/or seek out some reliable internet wine sites. I have used a number of them through the years and have been successful to find unique and interesting wines, but I don’t make recommendations.
Hopefully my winelover foodie friends agree that we met our objectives which were to explore the different tastes of Sangiovese wines from as many Italian regions as possible and confirm our theory that “if it grows together, it goes together” just like any good marriage. I hope that my wine and food adventures encourage others to be adventurous and experiment with some unfamiliar wines. You may be pleasantly surprised! Ciao.
The menu and wines as served: “Cena e Vini”
Welcome from our hosts
Sangiovese Grapes of Italy
Aperitivo
Taleggio DOP Crostini with Apple and Thyme Honey
Lombardy Province of Brescia, Franciacorta DOCG
Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige Brut
Antipasti
Charcuterie Platter
Assorted Cured Italian Meats and Cheeses, DeRomo’s Fresh Made Mozzarella, Olives and Giardiniera
DeRomo’s Ciabatta Bread, Rosemary Grissini and Sesame Seed Flatbread
Roasted Garlic Butter with Olive Oil
Chianti DOCG Vitanza Chianti Colli Sinese 2011
Morellino di Scansano DOCG Cecchi Val dell Rose Morellino di Scansano Reserva 2009 92 pts JS
Sicilian Caponata (Roasted Eggplant, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Capers in Sweet & Sour Sauce)
Sicilia Etna DOC Pietradolce Archineri Rosso 2012 Nerello Mascalese 93+ pts RP/JS
Corsica (French) Domaine Giacometti Patrimonio “Cru des Agriate” Rouge 2014
Nielluccio (Sangiovese), Grenache and Sciaccarellu blend
Primi
Tuscan Ribollita (Hearty Vegetable Soup of Kale, Cabbage, Beans, Tomatoes and Potatoes)
Chianti Classico DOCG Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico 2013 92 pts WS
Maremma Toscana DOC Tua Rita Perlato del Bosco 2012 93 pts WE
Lasagnetta di Finochhi e Spianata Calabra (Fennel and Tuscan Salami Terrine)
Carmignano DOCG Barco Reale Capezzana di Carmignano 2014
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2010 98 pts JS/95 RP
Homemade Mushroom Filled Ravioli, Porcini Mushroom Sauce & Black Truffles
Umbria Torgiano Rosso DOC Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano 2011
Umbria Montefalco DOC Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Rosso 2012 91 pts JS
Tomato Caprese Salad
Chianti Classico DOCG La Castellina Chianti Classico 2012 Squarcialupi
Decanter Silver World Wine Award
Chianti Classico DOCG Tenuta di Renieri Chianti Classico Riserva 2012 92 pts JS
Ligurian Basil Pesto with Vesuviotti Pasta
Liguria Colli di Luni DOC Lvnae Auxo Colli di Luni DOC Rosso 2011
Molise Molise DOC Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2015
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2011 95 pts RP/ 93 JS/ 92 WE
Toscana IGT Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2014 93 pts JS (Blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot)
So good they stand alone !!!!!
Secondi
Tuscan Sausage and Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes
Rosso di Montalcino DOC Vasco Sassetti Rosso di Montalcino 2014
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC Gattavecchi Rosso di Montepulciano 2015
Porchetta Style Pork Roast Garlic and Herbed Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Pancetta
Emilia – Romagna Romagna DOC Podere La Berta Olmatello Sangiovese Riserva 2011
Marche Rosso Piceno DOC Cocci Grifoni Vigna Messieri Rosso Piceno Superiore 2008
Contorni
Tuscan Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Slivers and EVOO
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC Canneto Rosso di Montepulciano 2015
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Vigneto Santa Pia “La Braccesca” Riserva
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2008 92 pts JS/WS
Formaggi e Frutta e Dolci
Gorgonzola Drizzled with Honey and Sugared Rosemary Walnuts
Fragole Seasonal Frutta strawberries, pineapple and kiwi
Bittersweet Chocolate Budino with Fresh Whipped Cream
Assorted Biscotti and Cookies from DeRomo’s Gourmet Market and Restaurant
Felsina Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2005 92 pts RP/91 WS
Digestivi and Caffe
Averna Amaro, Chuck’s Homemade Limoncello and Illy Caffe
The wine line up “vini”
Many thanks to Chris Gross, our guest sommelier
Linda Rakos 6.2.17
www.forkandcorkdivine.com
