Wine 52 Case Review: Food & Wine of Italy

This month, in celebration of all things Christmas, Wine52 are giving away a FREE case of wine to all new customers, themed around Italian wine and food pairings. This is an intrinsic part of Italian culture with each region, each city and each tiny mountain town having their very own dish, and of course wine, that are matches made in heaven.

There’s a reason that pairing food with wine from the same place works so well. The historical growth of both food and wine have grown culturally together over generations, making them natural fits. Food drives the wine style, and wine style drives the food - it is less about pairing and more about co-existing.

Your copy of Glug magazine not only comes with the story and flavours of the wines, but also the perfect recipes to go with your wines. They are easy to make and genuinely delicious. These will be great meals to make for small get togethers to prep your cooking skills in advance for the Christmas Day turkey. So, here’s something to celebrate - look forward to Pasta Alla Norma, Pasta Con Le Sarde and Bistecca alla Fiorentina alongside the ideal wines!

The Wine Tasting

Muto come un pesce Inzolia

Inzolia is a native Sicilian variety that grows in coastal, volcanic regions and is generally used in the best white blends from the island. On the nose you’ll find tropical fruits, orange blossom, candied lemon and a grapey aroma. To taste, it is dry, refreshing and very pleasing. There’s a little herbal hint for complexity The lemon flavours come out stronger than on the nose making it a great partner to its chosen dish.

Pairs With:

Pasta con le Sarde - This is the signature dish of Palermo featuring sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, raisins and even sometimes saffron, then topped with toasted breadcrumbs and cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The Inzolia’s acidity has just the right level to cut through the oily richness of the sardines and pine nuts, allowing it to enhance your experience and bring the wine to life.

Senno Nerello Mascalese

Nerello Mascalese is one of my favourite Sicilian red grapes. With a relatively pale colour, it has powerful flavours, high-ish tannin and the ideal level of acidity to balance it out. On the nose you quickly get the impression that this is a vibrant, ripe fruited wine. On the palate you’ll find that was exactly right! Bright cherry, strawberry and an earthy herbaceousness make a lovely complex wine. This one is on the lighter side with more subtle tannins which make it a great partner to its paired pasta.

Pairs With:

Pasta Alla Norma - This is a Catanian pasta this time with an aubergine-tomato base topped with ricotta salad. The wine's earthy undertone works in tandem with the pastas aubergine and tangy tomato sauce, whilst the high acidity plays a brilliant role in cutting through the ricotta cheese, making it a treat throughout every aspect of the dish!

Confab Sangiovese-Merlot

This is a Tuscan classic blend, combining the softness of Merlot with the more rustic nature of Sangiovese to create a wine of power and smoothness. On the nose this is smoky, meaty and intense, with fruity black cherry, black plum and blackcurrant additions alongside wild herb. On the palate it is fairly hefty but kept in balance by acidity keeping it feeling light and softening out the tannin. Luxurious dark fruit flavours pervade throughout and culminate in a sour cherry tang on the finish.

Pairs With:

Bistecca Alla Fiorentina - This is a thick T-bone steak from Florence, grilled rare over smoky embers. It’s a simple but effective match – powerful wine, powerful food. But, where this wine shines with the dish is the bright sour-cherry finish beautifully offsetting the succulent, smoky flavours of the steak.

The Verdict

This is the first wine and food pairing I can remember Wine52 doing, and it is a fabulous idea. It allows you to really make an occasion of it and treat yourself to an absolute slap up once a week until you get your next case. The recipes are easy to follow and quite irresistible.

Then, of course, the wines. In your free case these are the three you should receive and they are great examples of the kind of wine you can get from Wine52. You can add a 4th to your case if fancy to really stretch out the mealtimes and the wine too.

What are you waiting for? This festive season is the time to treat yourself!