Wine pairings for Farfalle con le Fave e Pecorino and Penne con le Fave
White: Bruna Pigato U Baccan, Feipu dei Massaretti Pigato di Albenga; Zenato Lugana San Benedetto or Lugana Riserva, Quintarelli Bianco Secco Ca’ del Merlo
Fava beans, aka broad beans, have an earthy, nutty, savory flavor. That flavor will guide the wine pairing for this summery dish this week. If there is one country in the entire wine world I associate nuts with, it’s Italy. Now, there are lots of types of nuts and where they are fresh, roasted, baked…you get my point. My Italian nuttiness reference is in the unroasted almond range.
The good news is, almost every Italian white will work with this dish. A few will go particularly well. Both Pigato from Liguria and Lugana from Veneto have an underlying earthy quality that will match the favas. Some tremendously delicious Pigato comes from Bruna (Pigato U Baccan) and Feipu dei Massaretti (Pigato di Albenga). Lugana will be slightly more aromatic on the floral quotient unless you opt for a style that sees a sprinkling of oak in its aging. I often write that oak=caution, but if it is light-handed, it can work well with the Pecorino component of the dish. Look for Zenato’s Lugana or Lugana Riserva if you want a wine with a bit of creamy oak-aged character as well as Quintarelli’s Bianco Secco Ca’ del Merlo. Also, don’t forget Verdicchio, which I mentioned here. It’s a winning pairing, too.
Check out our recipe for Farfalle con le Fave e Pecorino and Penne con le Fave.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
