Wine pairings for Pennone al Gorgonzola
Spumante: Pratello Brut Rosé 2006, Ferrari Perle Rosé 2004
Rosso: Tommaso Bussola Amarone, Monte Faustino Amarone
Pennone al Gorgonzola is a decadent dish. There’s no question. It calls for pulling out the stops…or at least loosening the belt buckle a few notches. While some rich white wines might work, why not bubbly instead? Better yet, a rosato bubbly kicks things up a notch. For a red wine, a plain ole red table wine could be served, but an Amarone might spark magic.
There are a few keys to pairing wine with this gloriously rich pasta. First, the wine will need good acidity to cut through the high cream and cheese content. Second, gorgonzola dolce works well with red fruit flavors. So, go for a cooler climate wine. Finally, there is texture to consider. A sparkling wine fermented in the metodo classico method will have smaller, creamier bubbles than a tank-fermented Prosecco. So, choose a bottle-fermented bubbly is you can. Similarly, an Amarone will have a more mouth-coating texture than table wines made without a good portion of dried grapes.
Two of my go-to, metodo classico rosato sparklers are Pratello’s Brut Rosé vintage cuvée and Ferrari’s Perle Rosé vintage bottling. In the red category, one of my all-time favorite Amarone producers is Tommaso Bussola. He makes two different cuvées. I suggest the Amarone Classico bottling; the higher end TB wine not only requires more coin but also has enough residual sugar that it won’t work with this pasta. A fairly new Amarone acquaintance is Monte Faustino. You may even be able to find this wine in 375ml bottles if you’re not sure that a fairly pricey wine made from partially dried grapes is for you.
Whatever you choose, go for a wine with gusto. For Pennone al Gorgonzola, there is really no other solution!
Check out our recipe for Pennone al Gorgonzola.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
