Skip to main content

A Glass of Chianti & Dreams of Porchetta #ItalianFWT


This month the Italian Food Wine and Travel bloggers are focusing on Chianti. You can read the invitation from Jeff of Food Wine Click!: here. And, it seems, that we'll continue to focus on the region and the wine next month as well. It'll give us an opportunity to focus on some specific vintners. So, this month, I am going to speak in generalities about the area...and share an experience I had while living in Italy after college that still has me dreaming of it.

courtesy winetourofitaly.com

Like most other Old World wines, Chianti derives its name from its region of production and not from the varietal used to make the wine though there are some requirements that it be mostly Sangiovese grapes.

A wide range of wine styles comes from the Chianti region. But from basic Chianti to the finest Riservas, elements of the wines remain consistent.  For a Chianti to be a Chianti, it must be produced in the Chianti region - in Tuscany - and be comprised of at least 80% Sangiovese grapes which typically produces a medium-bodied wine with strong fruit tones that are accented by delicate notes of herbs, leather, and spice, depending on the winemaker.

Traditional grape varietals such as Mammolo, Colorino, and Canaiolo were sometimes blended with the Sangiovese to add some complexity to Chianti. Today, many producers now blend in some Merlot for fruit or Cabernet Sauvignon for richness. Whatever the grape composition, you can expect the wine to be rustic and earthy. And the high tannins make it very food-friendly.

And while most people pair this classic Italian wine with Italian food, I've found it goes well with just about any food. I've poured it with pizza and pasta as well as Indian curries. It's always a fun one.

#ItalianFWT Group Answers Your Chianti Questions
Join our Italian Food Wine and Travel group on Saturday Oct. 7 at 10am CDT on Twitter as we discuss our Chianti findings. We’ll all be posting and chatting, join us! Just look for the #ItalianFWT hashtag on Twitter Saturday morning!

See what our Italian Food Wine & Travel Enthusiasts have to offer:

Dreams of Porchetta

First, a note about the photo. This is not a porchetta from Chianti, or even Italy. This is a porchetta from a winemakers' celebration in Carmel, California. It was served by one of my favorite local Italian restaurants - La Balena - whose owners hail from Florence.

There's something magical, something marvelous about a whole roasted pig, isn't there?!

I remember wandering through the streets of Florence on a rainy December afternoon. I could smell something wonderful. And, peeking down a side street, I spotted a small line snaking from a doorway. There was no sign, but I asked what was inside. "Porchetta, Bella," someone answered. So, I stood in line. There was no menu. There were no choices. 

You simply had to tell them how many you wanted. When I reached the front of the line, the man behind the counter barked, "Quanti?" How many? 

Uno, per favore. One, please.

"Vino?" Wine? 

Sì. Yes.

I walked away with a glass of red wine - there was no choice of red or white - in one hand and the most fragrant, and tender pork sliced on a piece of crusty bread in the other. It was burned into my memory as one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Ever. I still dream about it.

Comments

  1. What great memories....we went out for Italian last night, shared 2 bottles of Chianti between 3 of us and today I am nursing a hangover......booooooo

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved reading about your encounter with Porchetta, bella! Thanks for sharing. Pork and Chianti go hand in hand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yep, that was a pretty special experience you had, and the no frills approach- love it! When's the porchetta party?!?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my! Love that you followed your instincts -- and your tummy was rewarded as well as special memory!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Based on a comment made on my post about international grapes used as blenders, I'm happy to learn from you which indigenous grapes were classically added to Sangiovese. Great post- hungry as usual now. The hazard of reading Culinary Cam!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mmm I too dream of pork often! And what a beautiful memory.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce