Regional Italian Food And Wine Pairings - Liguria Dishes And Red Wine
The lovely Liguria region of north western Italy is known as the Italian Riviera. It is just a little sliver of land that lies along the Ligurian Sea north of the Mediterranean. Among the many Liguria attractions you will find Cinque Terre, five tiny seaside villages (from west to east Monteross, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) that just might steal your heart away and the bustling (and probably dangerous by night) port of Genoa, the home base of that great explorer Christopher Columbus. Given the perhaps unfortunate fact that very little Ligurian wine can be found in North America we made sure that we always proposed other Italian wines, often originating in the general neighborhood. .
For starters you just might enjoy a Torta Pasqualina (Artichoke Savory Pie) that stars ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and lots of eggs and olive oil. In fact it also makes a fine main dish. Among the many recommended wine pairings are the Grignolino d'Asti DOC that comes from Piedmont located just north of the Ligurian border, a fizzy red or rose Lambrusco Mantovano DOC, or the Ligurian Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC, which is also known as Dolceacqua DOC. Do not ever say that you haven't been properly warned; this last wine may offer a quite distinctive herbal, resiny taste.
Cima alla Genovese (Stuffed Flank Steak Genoa Style) is stuffed with lots of goodies such as anchovies, capers, and tuna. For the best reselts you are advised to use three cups of white wine for a two-pound steak. In theory you can keep this for a couple of days in the refrigerator. But my bet is that you can't. The experts suggest that you accompany it with a Piedmont Freisa d'Asti DOC or Grignolino d'Asti DOC, or the Ligurian Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC. By the way, Bartenura sells a kosher Freisa d'Asti.
Pandolce (Pandolce) is a Christmas cake also known as Panettone. Some people claim that the very best Pandolce comes form Genoa where the local tradition calls for lots and lots of candied fruit. You might want to enjoy this treat with a white sparkling Asti DOCG (which used to be called Asti Spumante) or you can go for a sparkling red wine, such as the Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG that is also known as the Acqui DOCG. These wines are both from the Piedmont.
About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers Italian travel and drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which includes an expanded version of this article and lots more.
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