Wine pairings for Tagliatelle con Ragu Bianco
Bianco: Gravner Ribolla Gialla Anfora, Marjan Simčič Ribolla Gialla Opoka Slovenia, Radikon Ribolla Gialla
Rosso: La Spinetta Pin, Pelissero Long Now
This is a very maleable pasta for wine pairing, accommodating bubblies, whites, rosés and reds. While the beef, pancetta and sausage in this dish require medium-plus to full-bodied wines, the generous quantities of herbs and white wine give it lift and keep reds from dominating the possible pairings.
The mirepoix and fresh herbs make this pasta quite savory. Ribolla Gialla is a white grape variety whose fruittiness is quite subtle, which means it has good potential with this ragu. Ribolla Gialla can be made in lighter and heavier styles, so look for wines with 13.5% alcohol or higher to best match the pasta’s weight. Also, wines that look orange because they have little sulphur used during their winemaking have a nice tugging texture to help refresh the palate from this pasta’s richness.
Full-bodied reds with solidly supporting acidity and medium tannins work well with this ragu. Red-fruited varieites like Barbera and Nebbiolo play best to the herbal components of this pasta. Both of these varieties also have firm acidity. They both hail from Piedmont where many blends of these two combine the feisty tannins of Nebbiolo with Barbera’s plumpness. Together they cleanse the palate without feeling overly harsh.
Check our our recipe for Tagliatelle con Ragu Bianco.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
