Italian Wine vs American Fall/Winter Holidays

Italian Wine vs American Fall/Winter Holidays 

By Rose Thomas Bannister

We’re told that food pairing is about harmony, but that doesn’t mean one player is a pushover. A good conversation partner doesn’t insult you, but that doesn’t mean they agree with everything you say. A great wine and food pairing includes an element of surprise. 

Imagine you’re a holiday dish. Pumpkin pie. Mashed potatoes. Roast beast. The wine in your glass should approach your rich forkfuls like a sparring partner who literally keeps you on your toes, like a dancing partner with “muscle,” pushing against your hands just a little bit so there’s enough resistance to feel what you communicate by pushing back. 

Late-year American holidays are all about fat: gravy, casserole, cheese stretching between the utensil and the mac and cheese. Bygone traditional foodways, virtually extinct, land on the holiday table and gleam with gravitas. These moments scream for wines high in acid, tannin, and flavor, to clean your mouth and prepare it for the next loaded, herby, spicy bite. 

Enter Italy. 

Italian wines have backbone, just like the country itself, with its mountainous spine. Traditional grape varieties grown on steep slopes and rolling hills become high-personality wines, perfect for standing up to bold flavors and rich textures. The reds are high in tannin, in acid. The whites are expressive, the bubbles exuberant. And the traditional rosés, properly called rosatos in Italy, can be so dark in color that they’re nearly “chilled reds.” 

I love them. I love them all. And if you’re at the wine shop right now in need of a holiday wine pairing that’s not boring, I’ve got you. 

Cheese Board vs. Etna Bianco

Did you know that white wines are actually more fabulous than red wines for pairing with cheese? I’ve chosen a white wine born on the Sicilian volcano for your holiday cheese board because the bright blend of Catarratto and Carricante, combined with that extra umph that volcanic soil tends to impart, is the perfect opening pairing for a holiday full of intriguing combinations.

Snack Board vs. Sardinian White

I imagine that your snack board includes a “relish tray,” known on the east coast as crudites, crackers or sourdough bread, some lovely cured meats and some trendy tinned fish. Growing up in the Midwest, we had a literal “relish tray” with compartments for carrot and celery sticks, radish quarters, baby sour pickles and black olives from a can. The central compartment contained ranch dressing or sour cream and onion dip if we were feeling fancy. However fancy your spread, bright veggie flavors, oily tinned fish or luscious, thinly sliced salumi and especially pickles call for a savory wine aged under flor, like fino or manzanilla sherry from Southern Spain. Did you know they make a wine like that in Italy?

I almost don’t want to tell you about Vernaccia di Oristano because you’re so unlikely to find it. Luckily I have a second Sardinian suggestion for your snack pairing needs: Vermentino. Ask for one from Gallura, the DOCG zone for this wine, but a good Vermentino from Cinque Terre or Tuscany can also deliver lime and tropical fruit flavors with a salty/savory finish. 

Latkes vs Asolo Prosecco

Don’t sleep on Prosecco, I always say, but also don’t pair your latkes with a bottle that’s simple, cheap and sweet. A crisp-perfect latke, whether gobbled straight from the hot pan by a hungry chef or plated with creme fraiche and fancy fish eggs, would be mind-blowing with a sip of Asolo Prosecco. The Valdobbiadene region in Proseccoland is rightfully getting some attention for its high-end, fresh and floral proseccos born in beautiful terraced vineyards, but the wines from Asolo DOC offer a mineral note like a salty surprise. If you can’t find these specific proseccos at your local shop, look for a “Col Fondo” style—the cloudy prosecco that ruled before pet-nat was hip.

Lobster Mac vs Collio Pinot Blanc

I’m crazy about the indigenous varieties of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as fans of the Modo di Bere podcast well know, but the “international” (French) vines also have a long history in the region. There is a grape variety that Friulian winemakers speak about with deepest respect, and that grape is Pinot Blanc. My personal tasting note for a cool, creamy Pinot Blanc is that it reminds me of a snowy winter day. The elegance and minerality typical to the Collio region will match your festive seafood in weight and fanciness, with sufficient acidity to cut through a melange of melty cheese. 

Mushroom Wellington vs Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

While a Barolo or Brunello would be a traditional match for a mushroom main, I’m trying to steer away from the famous Italian styles that people reach for at the holidays without my help. May I please introduce you to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. This Sangiovese-based blend is produced in and around the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, and should not be confused with wines made from the Montepulciano grape popular in Abruzzo. Vino Nobile is a gorgeous expression of Sangiovese that, to my senses, often presents notes of mushrooms and a little sweet mint. Swap it out where you’d use Barolo or Pinot Noir in your next earthy dish, and please write me to let me know what you think!

Roast Beast vs Aglianico

People need to drink more Aglianico, and your holiday roast beast is the perfect excuse. Aglianico is the great red grape of southern Italy, holding court with Nebbiolo in the north and Sangiovese in the center. It’s big, it’s dark, it’s high in acid and tannin. Aglianico develops gorgeous, complex flavors with a little age, and it’s got a darker, burlier character than the Barolos and Brunellos you already know. There are several different regional expressions across southern Italy. You could make trying them all your whole personality, but if you just want a great bottle to stand up to some fancy beef, I believe that whatever bottle you acquire is likely to be a great value.

Thanksgiving vs Valpolicella Superiore

I’ve been sitting on the perfect wine pairing for turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. I’ve had it under my hat since long before I had a magazine to share it in, and now the moment has finally arrived! A drumroll, please, for Valpolicella Superiore. 

If you like Italian wines, or if you visit Italian-American family at Christmastime, I bet you’ve heard of Amarone, a huge wine with flavors and alcohol boosted by a second fermentation with dried grapes. But Amarone would overwhelm poultry. Amarone would drown out the delicate sage in your stuffing, the cranberry in your sauce. The un-refermented wines from the Valpolicella region are made from the same blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinaro. These are fresh, medium bodied reds with typical notes of cherry and a touch of pepper that will echo your gravy’s spice. A Valpolicella classico will do, but the “Superiore” version, with its extra weight, hits the sweet spot for balancing a bite of juicy roasted turkey with crispy skin. 

Brussels Sprouts vs Pecorino

While I wish you a delicious and non-bitter sprout for your holiday, that’s not to say that this isn’t a tricky pair. To match a green vegetable with a personality, I offer Pecorino. This is a grape popular in the central Italian regions of Marche and Abruzzo that I recommend to lovers of Chenin Blanc. It’s got a fascinating texture and a note of sourish green melon candy that will play nicely with your holiday vegetable sides.

Cerasuolo vs Hoppin John

Another disambiguation: I’m suggesting the characterful Italian rosato (rose) from Abruzzo, based on the Montepulciano grape, to pair with good luck, slow-simmered black-eyed peas and pork. Honestly, if you accidentally buy a Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a red wine from Sicily’s only DOCG, made with Nero d’Avola and Frappato, that pairing would also be great. But I invite you to search for a Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, or another Italian rosato that’s darker than Provence-pink, so that you can join my crush on loud, flavorful Italian blush.

Three Types of Pie vs Three Lightly Sweet, Bubbly Wines

Fruit pies: Moscato. Try to spend at least 20 bucks, sip on this with fruit pie, and let the friendly bubbles comp your compote with surprising complexity.

Cream Pies: Pick up Brachetto, a sweet bubbly red from the same region, Piemonte, that’s known for pairing beautifully with chocolate, and sip it with a triangle of custardy coconut, banana creme or chocolate silk.

Pumpkin pie: Find a Sweet Lambrusco and indulge! This will also pair great with candied yams. Remember that dessert pairings are best when the wine is a little sweeter than the food, and save the dry Lambrusco for your savory sweet potatoes with brown butter and sage. 

Gingerbread vs Sweet Marsala

If you can find a sweet marsala that’s priced above sauce-grade, I think this fortified wine from Sicily would be spectacular with gingerbread spice. If not, a Vin Santo from Tuscany, or a Recioto from the aforementioned Valpolicella region, would also be very nice!