Wine pairings for Elicoidali ai Funghi e Olive
Bianco: Pirro Varone Le Vigne Rare Bianco, Pirro Varone Tocy Bianco
Rosso: Pirro Varone Le Vigne Rare, Pirro Varone Primitivo
This Sunday Pasta’s black olives provide spunky flavors with a salty kick. Its garlic and Pecorino layer on plenty of savory character. In sum, what this recipe needs is a full-flavored wine! Unless mild, innocuous button mushrooms are used, chances are the best wine pairing here will be a red. However, if white is what you’re craving, earthier or smokier wines can do the job. Puglia offers delicious and robustly flavored options.
And, it’s not just the usual suspects that fit the bill here. Grisola is a rare variety that offers black fruit flavors perfectly suited to this pasta. Almost no one produces it, so if you can find a bottle of Varone’s Vigne Rare, don’t hesitate to scoop it up! Of course, it’s not just rare varieties that work here. There are also more workhorse grapes like Primitivo. What is critical here is that no new oak is used in crafting the cuvées. Then, you’ll be set for a superb pairing for a savory dish. With Primitivo, however, be careful not to choose a wine that is too ripe or alcohol rich. Just tenths of a percentage of alcohol can make a big difference in the final wine.
For white wine lovers, check out a Fiano. While Fiano from Campania – the one most typically found – can work, what’s very exciting to discover now is a Fiano Minutolo. It tends to be smoky in aromatics, thanks to its soils. That allows it to work well with this pasta’s savory characters. Even if it takes some searching, these distinctive wines will broaden the flavors to be explored from this Sunday Pasta!
Check out our recipe for Elicoidali ai Funghi e Olive.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
