Pairings | Chickpeas

The best food pairings for Chianti Classico and other Tuscan sangiovese (updated)

Posted by Fiona Beckett on September 29 2021 at 07:26

There’s a lot of talk about how the wines of a region tend to match its food but that seems truer of Tuscany than almost anywhere else.

The traditional reds of the region - almost all based on sangiovese - work so effortlessly well that the locals barely bother with anything else, drinking them right through the meal (well up to the point they switch to vin santo …)

Because of its marked acidity, particularly when young, Chianti pairs brilliantly with tomato sauces, pizza and pasta bakes such as lasagne but it’s also a great wine with a simple grill or roast or even (gasp!) a burger. Here are my favourite pairings:

Inexpensive or youthful Chianti Classico

Paccheri con ragù chiantigiano e funghi porcini

Crostini, especially topped with mushrooms or chicken livers

Pasta with a meat or tomato sauce e.g. ragu bolognese, spaghetti and meatballs and even meatloaf

Baked pasta dishes such as lasagne

Pizza

Grilled cheese sandwiches

Bean or chickpea soup

Dishes with rosemary and fried sage

Dishes with salsa verde - even fish like this roast cod dish

Salumi especially salami with fennel

Pecorino cheese

Tuscan olive oils

Aged or ‘riserva’ Chianti Classico

Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic

Roast or braised veal, especially with mushrooms

Peposo - beef cooked with Chianti and pepper

Tuscan-style sausages and beans

Game, especially rabbit, pheasant and wild boar

Burgers (surprisingly, maybe but think of the tomatoes and cheese … )

Top level Gran Selezione Chianti Classico

Similar dishes to the above though the Italians would tend to go for steak such as a Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Top photo © Emiliano Migliorucci at fotolia.com

6 things you need to think about when pairing wine and vegetarian food

Posted by Fiona Beckett on May 11 2021 at 07:40

If you think it’s difficult to pair wine and vegetarian food, think again. It’s no trickier than it is for those who eat meat or fish.

True, vegetarian dishes tend to include more ingredients than a simple steak or piece of fish but if you focus on the style of the dish and the way it’s cooked it’s not hard to come up with a delicious wine match.

Here are six things to think about:

How the food is cooked

Is the dish a light dish like a salad or a hot dish like a casserole. The former will call for a lighter wine (generally a crisp dry white or rosé) than the latter which is more likely to go with a medium to full-bodied red. Fried foods like fritters always pair well with sparkling wine.

Which wine pairs best with salad

Does one vegetable e.g. mushrooms or asparagus dominate?

If so match that ingredient. Mushroom dishes for example generally work well with pinot noir, butternut squash with a rich white like a chardonnay and asparagus - contrary to the general wisdom - with all kinds of different wines.

Which wines and beers pair best with mushrooms

Top wine pairings with asparagus

Does it contain a meat substitute?

Veggie sausages and burgers or soy mince behave very much like their equivalent meat-based versions with wine so check the website for recipes and ingredients like sausages or spaghetti bolognese.

Top wine matches for sausages

6 of the best matches for spaghetti bolognese

Does it come from a particular country or region e.g. Italy or the middle-east

In which case match the wine to that style of food - a southern Italian red works well with baked pasta dishes such as lasagne for example and a crisp dry white or rosé with mezze

What to drink with lasagne

Lebanese mezze and Côtes de Provence rosé

Is the dish spicy?

Spicy food tends to benefit from wines with a touch of sweetness like riesling and pinot gris. Full bodied fruity rosés also work well. But remember there are different kinds of spice - a zesty Thai green curry pairs better with an aromatic white like pinot gris or a punchy New Zealand sauvignon blanc while a rich aubergine curry would work better with a red.

What wine to drink with curry: my top 5 picks

Are pulses involved?

If so, good news! As they’d tell you in Tuscany pulses like beans and chickpeas are an excellent foil for a fine red wine like a good Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.

The best wine pairings with beans

The only other thing that need concern you is whether the wine is suitable for vegetarians i.e. whether any animal products are used in the fining process. Most supermarket own brand wines will give this information on the back label otherwise you’ll need to check with the producer or shop you buy from.

For more insights and ideas see this post I wrote for Decanter on which wines to drink with vegetarian food

Image by Foxys Forest Manufacture at shutterstock.com