|
General InformationTomato Sauce is a classic sauce pairing with pasta and is marked by its acidic and sweet nature. Most tomato sauce based recipes hail from Italian cuisine. Common herbal elements added to the sauce for flavour include basil, oregano and pepper. These pasta dishes are also often accompanied by cheese, meat and vegetable ingredients.
For these reasons, when choosing a wine to accompany a tomato sauce based pasta dish, you will want to turn to something more acidic and that which shares common flavour profiles with the dish. Red wines are often a choice resort when it comes to tomato sauce pasta dishes accompanied by cheese and red meat ingredients. Many red wines also share common and accompanying flavour profiles of cherry, tomato, basil, oregano and pepper. Descent tannins and acids of a red wine can cut the fats and soften the proteins of the dish. White wines are also a descent go to for tomato sauce pasta dishes with more vegetable based ingredients. White wines containing higher acidity and less fruit qualities with more earthy, grassy, vegetal and mineral qualities might best suite the dish. In Depth PairingClassically, you cannot go wrong when pairing a dish and a wine from the same reason. This rule is especially well founded in Italian cuisine and wine. When pairing wine with an Italian tomato sauce pasta dish turn to the big names of Italian wine such as Sangiovese or Chianti, even a good Borolo or Barbaresco. Sangiovese is a beautiful varietal wine with the perfect pairing elements of tomato and cherry flavours with herbal qualities hinting on oregano and thyme. This can be a fuller wine which would pair especially well with a fuller dish heavy on cheese and meat. Chianti is a blend wine composed of eighty percent Sangiovese and twenty percent other. It too contains flavours of cherry and tomato along with similar herbs of oregano and thyme. A descent Barolo will contain high tannins and high acids with hints of earthiness, truffles and chocolate, flavours well suited for a tomato based pasta dish. Barbaresco contains many of the same qualities as a Barolo wine but tends to be less tannic. These two wines might better serve a tomato sauce will ample mushrooms or vegetables contained within, though they contain the high tannins and acids to cut through the fats of any cheese and meat.
When moving away from Italian based wines, one can turn to the likes of a fuller Zinfandel, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Zinfandel contains the jammy character and spice that would accompany a tomato based pasta dish well. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon have the tannins and acids as well as the cherry and currant flavours to keep up with such a dish. One might choose a Carmenere from Chile with its cherry to black berry flavours coupled with red bell pepper, spicy black pepper, chocolate and herb characteristics. Then there is the right South American or European Pinot Noir, more earthy and cherry based. If you want to turn to a white wine with your tomato based pasta, look for Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc Blend, which tend to be crisply acidic with citrus and grassy-vegetal flavours. A dry Riesling with grapefruit citrus notes out of Germany might be a good pairing or an Italian Pinot Grigio. |
|
General InformationFor pasta in a lighter sauce such as one based on oil and herbs, or on oil and citrus elements such as lemon or lime, dry white wines with good acidity are the best course of action. For sauces based in citrus or vinegrette elements, turn to a white wine that is higher in acidity to match the acids of the dish, and a wine that shares similar citrus flavour profiles to compliment the light dish.
For pasta in an oil and herb based dish turn to white wines that contain good acids to cut the oil. Here you can choose to accent the herbs with citrus flavours or you can choose a wine that contains more earthier, grassier and vegetal qualities to match the herbal notes of the dish. Certain, lighter red wines can also go great with oil and herb based dishes. You can turn to the right lighter bodied red wine for their acidity to cut the oil and their herbal qualities and fruits to accompany the herbs of the dish. In Depth PairingWhen pairing with Lemon or Lime based pasta dishes, turn to a white bursting with lemon and lime citrus elements such as Pinot Grigio (not Pinot Gris) which is known for its zesty lemon character. Choosing a drier crisp Riesling from Germany, Australia or New Zealand will give you elements of lime and apple, while a Sauvignon Blanc from warmer regions will come with citrus character. If your dish contains almonds, you may wish to look for a Verdicchio, containing lemon and almond flavours. An unoaked Chardonnay will carry with it light and delicate green apple, pineapple and lemon elements that will match the flavours of a light citrus pasta dish. Turn to those Chardonnays from the Chablis region which will be free from oaking and MLF processes.
For those oil and herb based dishes, or where your citrus dishes also contain many herbs and vegetables, turn to a Gruner Veltliner for its distinct lemon and green bean character or characters reminscent of vegetal and herb qualities. A Sauvignon Blanc from cooler climates will also contain vegetal and herbal note along with citrus elements. When the oil of the dish is prominant you may wish to counter it with the high acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc or that of a Muscadet which contains citrus, apple and mineral notes. Reds you might wish to pair with an oil and herb pasta include a lighter bodied Chianti, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo or Sangiovese. |
PASTA IN
|
General InformationCream Sauces are heavy, rich and fatty. For this reason you will need to pair up a fuller white wine, with higher alcohol and acidity to cut the fat and match the richness. You can also match up a lighter red wine with higher alcohol and acidity but lighter flavour and tannin content.
In Depth PairingWhite wines which match up to the richness of a cream based pasta dish include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or a dry sparkling white wine. Pinot Grigio is higher in acidity and contains good citrus and melon flavours. Sauvignon Blanc from cooler climates will match up flavour wise with a cream sauce containing herbal qualities. Champagnes or Cava Bruts contain the fizziness to cut through the cream of the dish.
Sticking to a wine regional to the dish, you may wish to pair up a white Italian unoaked Chardonnay or red Chianti. For other red wines you might turn to a lighter bodied European Pinot Noir or a slightly smokier Tempranillo. Tempranillo is especially good for a creamy sauce with an abundance of mushrooms. |
For reference see:
Rosetto @ www.rosetto.com
Food and Wine Pairing @ foodandwinepairing.org
Cooking Light @ cookinglight.com