Wine pairings for Lasagna agli Spinaci
Red: Chianti Classico, especially Castell’in Villa, Fontodi and Canalicchio di Sopra.
Chianti is all things that food needs: fruit, mouth-watering acid, lightly astringent tannins, not too much oak. This is especially true of Italian foods. Italian dishes sing of the purity of their ingredients and Chianti does to of its appellation and grape variety Sangiovese.
In the spirit of keeping things simple, I propose a few wineries to check out and offer one reminder and important distinction in Chianti. Reminder first: Chianti and Chianti Classico are two very different genres of Chianti. Chianti Classico is a smaller area limited to the hills of Toscana where they have higher altitudes than Chianti – the larger district – produce lighter styles of wine with brighter acidity. For spinach lasagna I suggest sticking to the “normale” wines, that is, not upgrading to the riserva wines. Many riservas use some new oak and have a greater fruit concentration and ripeness that can compete with the vibrant freshness of this dish.
My favorite Chianti Classico producers include Castell’in Villa, Fontodi and Canalicchio di Sopra. Also, a new find this week to comb the shelves for if you happen to live in the New York area is the Chianti Classico 2007 from Poggio Amorelli.
Check out our recipe for Lasagna agli Spinaci .
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
