Homemade Wine Pairing Dinner - Italian

My Dad prepping the asparagus
with the pork in the back.

Both of my parents in dinner prep.
We also did a short Balsamic Vinegar tasting.
The vinegars are in the foreground. 

My Mom cooking the soup.

I came home this weekend for Easter and suggested to my parents that we put on a wine pairing dinner. My parents love this kind of thing so they quickly agreed and even invited some of their friends. We had three dishes with three different wines all from Italy. We even started the evening with a Balsamic Vinegar tasting, including a couple that I brought back from my study abroad in Italy. I loved my trip to Italy and I was excited to do my first pairing dinner with food and wine that I always really enjoy. We enjoyed a Chianti Classico, a Barbara D'Asti, and a Vin Santo.


Ruffino Chianti Classico and Tomato Basil Soup

Alone: This is a medium-bodied wine with a good balance between dark fruits and oak. There are aromas of black cherries and a little bit of chocolate as well. I really enjoyed this on it's own and found it to be very well balanced.

Paired: This paired very will with the soup. This Ruffino is softer than a typical chianti classico. The brought out more of the notes of the wine without fighting with them. The wine had more of an attack on the palate and was more hearty as well.


Michele Chiarlo Barbera D'Asti and Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Spinach and Asparagus

Alone: Rich fruit comes out in this wine on the nose and palate. It has a great, smooth mouth-feel and is medium bodied. Ripe cherries and earth come out on the nose. Dark berries with a rich tannic structure and a dry finish. I enjoyed this on its own as well.

Paired: More fruit came out in the back taste. The cherries and blackberries really came through with the pork, chick peas, and asparagus. It balanced well with spicy spinach and didn't become overpowered by the spice. This wine paired very well with this dish.


Castello di Verazzano Vin Santo and Vanilla Ice Cream with Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar

This particular wine I brought back from my
trip to Italy this past winter.
I really wanted to share it with my parents
because of its great and unique flavor.

The vanilla balsamic vinegar on the ice cream
I also brought back from trip to Italy.

Alone: This is a very sweet dessert wine. At 17%, it is also rather alcoholic on the nose and on the palate. I detected almonds on the palate once I got paste the initial shock of sweetness. This is the kind of sweet wine I like and enjoy.

Paired: It paired perfectly with the vanilla ice cream. The ice cream toned down the intensity of the wine making it more enjoyable and easier to drink. It mellowed out and the oxidation characteristics of the wine were toned down. It was a pairing I would gladly enjoy again.

Each wine was very unique but equally enjoyable. I found doing the dinner with my parents and their two friends made this even more fun. I got to get their opinions on the pairing which really helped because they have much more mature palates than I do. They also did all the cooking which was a great bonus for me!










A Special Bonus! Jaume Serra Cristalino Rose Brut

We finished the meal this Rose Brut. It is not from Italy, it is from Spain, but it was a refreshing finish to great Italian meal.