Wine pairings for Paccheri con Salsiccia, Zucchini e Burrata
Rosso: Fattoria Resta Martin del Nero, Tenuta Valdipiatta Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna d’Alfiero
This masterpiece of pasta definitely calls for red wine. Sticking to the Italian philosophy of local ingredients pairing with local wines, my picks for this dish are Tuscan reds. And, what variety is more Tuscan than Sangiovese? Even more, both of my picks are varietal Sangiovese, meaning they’re made entirely from that noble grape.
Adhering to another frequently voiced theme in this column, I’m skirting around wine choices that show obvious oak overtones like coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla. After all, none of those three elements are listed as ingredients, are they?
The first wine is Martin del Nero, made one hour and twenty minutes south of Florence. Fattoria Resta’s winemaker is laser-focused; she makes only one wine. She doesn’t make much of that wine either – only 3,000 bottles a year. This red has lightly grainy tannins that cut through the dish’s richness while emphasizing the savoriness of the Italian sausage. Mama mia!
The second vino is Valdipiatta’s high-end bottling: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna d’Alfiero. If you can find an older bottling, especially the 2006, you’ll have a particularly dynamic match. This wine comes from vines located the same distance south from Florence, but about 45 minutes east of Fattoria Resta. This wine’s bright acidity is what really slices through the fat of the sausage while its generous red fruit notes harmonize with the sweetness of the sauteed zucchini and onion.
If you don’t see either of these wines on your wine store’s shelf, don’t fret. Choose any Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which will assure you a 100% Sangiovese wine. It won’t be the same as the wines I mention, but, as with Ed’s version of Il Francescano’s Paccheri, you’ll get the idea!
Check out our recipe for Paccheri con Salsiccia, Zucchini e Burrata and our About to learn more about burrata.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury
Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
