Wine and food pairing: how to choose a wine from Campania
Two simple principles for pairing, the pairings suggested by the Irpinian consortium for Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo, and serving temperatures.
In brief
A pairing works when the wine echoes or balances what is on the plate. For the wines of Irpinia the consortium suggests Greco di Tufo and Fiano with seafood, Taurasi and Aglianico with red meat, game and important cheeses. There is no absolute rule: tasting remains the test.
Two principles: agreement and contrast
Sommeliers reason this way (wording taken from an article by AIS Lombardia):
- Agreement: the wine echoes a characteristic of the dish, for example a soft wine with a soft dish.
- Contrast: the wine balances it, for example an acidic wine with a fatty dish.
Clean, acidic sparkling wines help with fatty foods; the structure of the wine must not overpower the dish.
“White with fish and red with meat” is not an absolute rule: there are no absolute rules.
What the Irpinian consortium suggests
- Greco di Tufo: raw seafood, seafood stews, grilled or gratinated seafood, salt cod, fried dishes, fresh and goat's cheeses, Irpinian first courses. The Riserva can also go with meat.
- Fiano di Avellino: young, with spaghetti with anchovies, baked fish with potatoes, lightly salted buffalo mozzarella; the Riserva with fried fish.
- Taurasi and Aglianico: red meat, game, aged cured meats and important cheeses.
These are the recommendations of a protection consortium, which knows its own wines. Two ideas for our pantry:
- the Fiano di Avellino, which the Consortium proposes young with spaghetti with anchovies and baked fish with potatoes: in the pantry you will find the anchovies;
- for the Taurasi the Consortium indicates important cheeses and aged cured meats; a Provolone del Monaco PDO (DOP) is a suggestion of ours to try.
At what temperature to serve it
The figures are indicative and the sources differ by one or two degrees:
- dry sparkling wines: 4-8 °C (AIS Lombardia), 6-8 °C (Altroconsumo);
- young dry whites: about 8 °C; mature or structured whites: 10-12 °C (Altroconsumo);
- reds low in tannin: 14-15 °C (AIS Lombardia) or 13-14 °C (Altroconsumo); structured, tannic reds: from 16 °C upwards (AIS Lombardia), 17-18 °C (Altroconsumo).
An opened bottle
Still wine, once opened, generally keeps 3-5 days, in the refrigerator, upright; sparkling wine with a pressure stopper keeps 3-4 days (an indication from Altroconsumo, not a regulation).
The wines of the selection
If you do not yet know the designations, start with Taurasi, Fiano and Greco explained. All the wines are in the Wine shop; sale is restricted to people over 18.
