Wine pairings for Spaghetti con la Bottarga e Zafferano
Bianco: Punica Isola dei Nuraghi Samas, Santadi Vermentino di Sardegna Cala Silente, Sella & Mosca Vermentino di Sardegna La Cala
Rosato: Argiolas Isola dei Nuraghi Serra Lori, Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Rosato Tre Torri
This Sunday Pasta may be simple in ingredients, but it is pungent in flavors. So, let the pasta shine while the wine plays a supporting roll. Refreshment and oak-free wines are the key to a top match, as are wines with savory flavors to link with the salty and fishy goodness of the bottarga and spicy broth quality of the saffron.
Vermentino has an unusual capacity to be both crisp and lush-feeling at the same time. It’s the perfect foil to the bottarga, yet it links well to the olive oil and denseness of the spaghetti. (NB The Punica Samas has 20% Chardonnay that contributes more savory, leesiness to that wine, working particularly well with the bottarga.)
Local red grapes – including Monica, Cannonau and Bovale Sardo – make wines that range from light and breezy to dense and meaty. Few reds reach the USA that find the right balance for this dish. However, rosato wines strike the perfect balance. They tend to be rich in flavor, so don’t over chill them and you’ll end up with a bottle closer to a lightly chilled red than a typical rosato.
Check out our recipe for Spaghetti con la Bottarga e Zafferano.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
