L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano Five Italian reds to pair with fish S tanding on a train platform in Munich, S- Bahn trains clatter by me toward their desti- nations, one after the other, in a blur of alternating color: R e d - w h i t e - r e d - w h i t e - r e d - white. R e d - w h i t e - r e d - w h i t e - r e d - white. A rather timely visual as I pon- der whether it'll be red or white wine with the fish entrée I plan to order later tonight. And there you have it: the food and wine pairing decision that of- ten confounds newbie and expe- rienced wine lovers alike - shall it be red or white with fish? Traditional guidance suggests that white wine with fish works best, a thesis which, to me, sounds … well, a bit fishy. I am simply astonished that such guidance is still communicated anywhere. In- ternet and print sources report in detail about local food traditions, yet many somehow manage to miss the culinary connection between red wine and fish. Based on informal observations drawn from the culinary meande- rings of one wine lover (me) – a highly non-scientific endeavor, mind you, sometimes informed more by the mere chance of what bottle is available, and the simple premise of putting what I like to drink together with what I like to eat – it would appear that the con- ventional "white with fish" gui- dance proves accurate approxima- tely 20% of the time; less adventurous 50% of the time; and boring, nearly all of the time. To bring renovation to the cen- tral question, it strikes me that there are three relevant points de- serving of consideration: what kind of fish is it? How will it be prepared? Does it have a fin or a shell? That last point is important because many folks and restaurant menus for brevity oftentimes com- bine fish and shellfish (which de- serve separate consideration) to- gether into one big category. In deciding what to drink with fish, to consider those three questions relative to the planned entrée has, for me, proven helpful. But, be ad- vised, there are no hard and fast answers. Here are five of my favorite Italian red wines to enjoy with fish, along with a few pairing tips which I hope will demonstrate the aforementioned points and provide a roadmap of sorts to inspire your own "red wine with fish" adven- tures: Rossese Soft and fragrant red wines from Liguria, whose charm lies in their savory personality and her- baceous-ness. Sensational partner to firm-flesh fish dishes featuring pesto or prepared "puttanesca" style (garlic, capers, anchovy, red pepper flakes, olives, pine nuts, aromatic herbs). Seek out wines of DOC Rossese Riviera Ligure di Ponente or Rossese di Dolceac- qua / Dolceacqua DOC. Ormeasco Also from Liguria and made from Dolcetto grapes, Ormeasco wines are pleasantly fruity, fra- grant of violets, herbs and spice, with a vein of salinity that distin- guishes them from Piedmont Dol- cetto. Ormeasco wines tend to have an appealing softness in the mouth, express some structure, and finish with velvety tannins. Look for Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC. A fantastic choice for fish stews such as cacciucco or bouil- labaisse. Nerello Mascalese Nerello Mascalese wines drink with a lightness of being (read: elegance) akin to Pinot Noir. Ne- rello Mascalese's fine-grained tan- nins, nuances of tobacco, Medi- terranean bush and herb, and saline pair extremely well with sa- vory fish preparations. Adore it with grilled salmon or swordfish with oregano and peppercorns. Look for Etna DOC, Faro DOC, Terre Siciliane IGP. Tai Rosso Sharing a genetic relationship with Spanish Garnacha and Sar- dinian Cannonau, Tai has develo- ped a rather unique expression in Colli Berici DOC. This light red's delicate tannins and refined after- taste of almonds pairs wonderfully with classic stockfish dishes. Bardolino / Bardolino Clas- sico Made in Veneto from Corvina grapes along with Rondinella and other allowable varieties, Bardo- lino wines are light in body, with flavors and aromas of cherries, red berries, notes of cinnamon, black pepper in a truly harmonic balance, finishing with an after- taste of pleasantly bitter almond. Excellent with fish dishes in ge- neral, though especially good with fresh water fish, pan-fried fillets, as well as with stronger flavored, oily fish such as tuna or salmon. Recommended producers in- clude: Bardolino - Le Fraghe, Vil- labella; Tai Rosso - Giannitessari, Piovene Porto Godi; Ormeasco – Guglierame, Ramoino; Rossese – Maccario Dringenberg (Rossese di Dolceacqua), Bio Vio "U ba- stiò" (Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC) ; Nerello Mascalese – Pie- tradolce (Etna DOC), Le Case- matte (Faro DOC, Terre Siciliane IGP). A final word: Any good baseball game has swings and misses. As you find your "red wine with fish" groove, it's reasonable to expect varying degrees of success. But, in the end, the home runs are worth the effort. Tasting Note Pietradolce Vigna Barba- galli, Etna Rosso DOC 100% Nerello Mascalese from 80-100 year old vines. Lithe and graceful body, expressive notes of dark cherry, small red berries, kirsch, spice, and mint, underlined with delicious salinity, all knitted together by silky, fine-grain tan- nins. Stunning. Imported by Em- pson USA. WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES JOEL MACK THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 There are plenty of reds perfect to exalt the flavor of fish, including Liguria's Rossese and Sicily's Nerello Mascalese Many believe fish always requires white wines, but is this always a good idea?

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