L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Lugana DOC: Lake Garda's White Wine Meets Chinese Cuisine L ike many Italian-Ame- rican kids, we were rai- sed to have a great re- spect for elders. Spending time with ol- der family members was important and we visited them often. On weekdays. Overnights. Always on Sunday. When they cooked for us, grandparents rarely strayed from Italian-American food: pasta fa- gioli, eggplant parmigiana, brea- ded veal cutlets, bone-in pork chops; homemade pasta, as an en- trée, three times a week. To this day, if on Sunday, if I don't smell Napoli-style meat sauce, I am overcome by an awkward feeling similar to when one suspects his trouser zipper may be unfastened. And every one of those dishes had its particular serving day. You'd know what day of the week it was based on what was in your plate. As time went on, the integration of neighborhoods, influences of te- levision, arrival of new ethnic groups, etc., exposed Italian-Ame- ricans to different food cultures. More and more, we opened our minds to trying different ethnic cuisines, especially those that met the Italian-American standard for flavor and authenticity. One such recent pleasure was a seat at New York City's Jing Fong restaurant and banquet hall for a special dinner featuring Ita- lian wines from Lugana DOC pai- red with Chinese cuisine. The oc- casion highlighted the food friendliness of Lugana DOC's white wines as well as the fresh- ness and quality of the Cantonese- style menu, sparking taste buds and giving pleasure to all in atten- dance. Acknowledging that to some, Italian wine and Chinese cuisine might, at first glance, seem rather strange gastronomic bedfellows, I'll explain why, to my thinking, a night of Lugana wine and Chinese food charmed so many palates. Produced from local grape Tur- biana, Lugana wine hails from the DOC of the same name located around the southern tip of Lake Garda. The area's rare, hard clay soil conspires with the mild, breezy micro-climate and lake in- fluences, issuing terroir conditions that give Lugana wine a unique sensory profile. It is, first of all, the remarkable freshness of Lugana wines that provides the complimentary be- drock for linking the wines to the equally fresh character of China's Cantonese cuisine (a culinary cha- racter that, in my opinion, runs th- rough the major cooking styles of China) and, by extension, to the entrées we enjoyed at Jing Fong. The flavors and aromas of Lu- gana wine - fresh and delicate, with refined scents of yellow stone fruit and flowers – are perfect foils for the light, mellow sauces such as hoisin, oyster, plum, black bean, and soy, which you will encounter in China's Cantonese (and other styles) cuisine. An almond grace- note typical of Lugana DOC wines harmonizes beautifully with the ginger flavors of Chinese cooking. Residual sugar (RS) in Lugana DOC white wines can be a bit hi- gher than one might imagine, a point of note for fans of the hot and spicy. In the same way that Riesling (also a bit higher in RS) pairs brilliantly with spicy food plates, Lugana, too, can hold its own in highly-seasoned company. If you are craving the culinary heat and feeling like drinking Italian, well then, Lugana wine should be a go-to pairing choice. Lugana DOC wines and Chi- nese cuisine were surely the eve- ning's protagonists at Jing Fong. But, other applause remains due: to Susannah Gold, US East Coast Lugana Ambassador and founder of Vigneto Communications, for conceiving this creative and fun presentation of Italy's Lugana wi- nes; Pinny Tam, author of Chinese Wine and Food Pairings.com, for her knowledgeable commentary and notes on both those subjects; and to Executive Chef Kai Fung Lai, Jing Fong, whose culinary ar- tistry elevated both Italian wine and Cantonese food. To help you on your way to an enjoyable Italian wine / Chinese food experience, please find this brief shopping list of Lugana DOC wines presented at Jing Fong, fol- lowed by the evening's "Happi- ness Dinner" pairings: Cantina Bulgarini 2017 Le Morette Mandolara 2017 Ca Maiol Molin 2017 Cesari Cento Filari 2016 Ca Dei Frati Brolettino 2016 Tenuta Roveglia Vendemmia Tardiva Filo di Arianna 2014 Pairings: Baked Scallops with Crispy Seafood Rolls; Sautéed Cuttlefish; Sautéed Shrimp & Chicken; As- sorted Seafood in a Basket; Orien- tal Steak Filet; Crispy Whole Chicken; Fried Filet of Fish with Minced Garlic; Steamed Lobster with Garlic over E-Fu Noodle. Meanwhile, Italian wine con- tinues to play a central role at ta- ble, even as we broaden our culi- nary boundaries, flexing its food-friendly muscle even when paired with non-Italian internatio- nal cuisines. Tasting Note Cesari Cento Filari Lugana DOC 2016 Made from 95% Turbiana with the addition of 5% Chardonnay (I believe later vintages may have moved to 100% Turbiana) grown on the southern shore of Lake Garda in clay-calcareous soil. Flo- ral and citrus, with balanced sali- nity and acidity, full-bodied and fat in the mouth. Epic with stea- med lobster with garlic over nood- les. The Lugana DOC wines presented and paired at Jing Fong Lugana wines are an incredibly good match for Chinese food JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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