Wine Guy: Denver sommelier offers suggestions pairing lighter Italian reds with summer foods

  • By Rich Mauro Special to The Gazette –
Italian wine, arguably more than any other, is made to be drunk with food. Generally, with slightly higher acidity, less noticeable oak, and more of a sense of the earth where the grapes originated, Italian wines just taste better with food. Here I focus on light-bodied reds (eight native grapes) for warm weather drinking. They are fruit-forward, have gentler tannins, and taste better with more of a chill.
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Red wine being poured into glass (Getty Images) Getty Images

 

To be more specific as to what foods to eat with these wines, I discussed pairing suggestions with sommelier Scott Thomas, “founder and lead educator” at Grappolo Wine School and wine director at Denver’s Michelin recommended Restaurant Olivia. His creative suggestions for pairing with regional foods follow my tasting notes in italics.

Valpolicella (Veneto). Blended primarily from corvina, rondinella and molinara grapes, notable for bright cherry flavors, gentle tannins, crisp, vibrant finish.

 

Full Article here: https://gazette.com/life/wine-guy-denver-sommelier-offers-suggestions-pairing-lighter-italian-reds-with-summer-foods/article_3c45c3d0-4aa9-11ef-8732-134b4baca06b.html#google_vignette