Regional Italian Food And Wine Pairings – Calabria Dishes And White Wine

by

Levi Reiss

Calabria forms the toe of the Italian boot. This region is located in the southwest corner of Italy, and boasts some 500 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Taranto and Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Its total population is about 2 million. The countryside is mountainous, and prone to earthquakes. Over the centuries the peasants learned how to extract the maximum from the poor soil. The red onions from Tropea are as good as they get. Some people eat them raw. Does anybody out there have a wine pairing for raw onions?

An excellent appetizer or side vegetable dish is Carciofi Ammollicati (Artichokes with Breadcrumbs) that also includes grated Pecorino cheese, lemons, and olive oil. Some say that artichokes are difficult to pair with wine. They haven\’t tried this dish with a Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, a Vermentino di Gallura DOCG from Sardinia, or an Italian Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc.

Another first dish is Bucatini con la Mollica (Bucatini Pasta with Breadcrumbs) that includes salted anchovies, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Use whole-wheat breadcrumbs. This dish is traditionally served without cheese and calls for Bucatini, large hollow spaghetti. Enjoy this dish with an Italian Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

An alternative local pasta dish is Spaghetti al Ragu di Totano (Spaghetti with Squid and Tomato Sauce). The hardest part of preparing this dish is cleaning the squid. Other ingredients include onion, garlic, and basil. You might want to save some of the squid rings for your second course. Among the suggested wine pairings for the pasta dish (often made with angel hair spaghetti) are Italian Pinot Grigio and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC or Verdicchio di Matelica DOC from The Marches.

Pesce Stocco alla Calabrese (Salted Cod Calabrian style) is made with tomato sauce, black olives, onion, potatoes, and some herbs and spices. The real thing is cooked in a terracotta dish. If you like salt cod, you\’ll enjoy this meal with an Italian Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

I\’ve saved the best for last; namely Pesce Spada alla Bagnarese (Swordfish Bagnara style). Bagnara is a fishing and now tourist village that is also known for Torrone, a delicious almond-nougat candy. The swordfish is roasted with capers, chopped parsley, lemon, and olive oil. Suggested wine pairings include Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG from Tuscany but you have to get a good one, an Italian Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine wine. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website

theworldwidewine.com

features a weekly review of $10 wines and a whole lot more. Visit his Italian travel website

travelitalytravel.com

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com