How to pair Tuscan wines with food: the rules to follow and errors to avoid

Italy is renowned throughout the world for its history, beauty, culture and culinary tradition; the latter is characterized in every region with different specialties that for centuries have continued to delight the palates. The Val d’Orcia, with its typical local products, offers many dishes from appetizers to desserts, but how can Tuscan wines be combined with these traditional foods?

The rules to follow and the errors to be avoided when pairing wines

The requirement for choosing the right wine for the meal is the balance between the sensation awakened by the food and that of the wine in order to enhance its characteristics. A choice conceived in this sense will bring to life the experience of the meal, which is therefore not to be considered, mistakenly, only an opportunity to feed.

The Tuscan wine production is so wide to propose combinations with any course, traditional or innovative, of meat, fish or vegetarian, from the starter to the dessert. Solely in Val d’Orcia, the Vino Nobile DOCG and Rosso DOC di Montepulciano, as well as the Vin Santo DOC, are renowned, whereas in the region there are other white, red and Muscat wines.

Tuscan wines from entree to desserts

Once seated at the table, it is impossible to not start with a glass of Rosso di Montepulciano, with its round and pleasant taste, along with two regional specialties, the Cinta Senese salami and the Pecorino di Pienza, accompanied by croutons with livers or with lardo di Colonnata PGI and bruschetta with Tuscan olive oil, also PGI, garlic and a pinch of salt.

The first dish winks at the country tradition with the bread or bean soup and the pici, a fresh spaghetti-like pasta made with water and white and yellow flour whose typical condiment from the Montepulciano area is the aglione.

An interesting alternative is the gnocchi made mixing in saffron, the cultivation of which, in this area, dates back to 1200 and has also obtained the DOP denomination. For these courses, you can choose between a Vino Rosso di Montepulciano or Rosso di Montalcino.

An absolute classic is the so-called Florentine steak. The recommended wine? Nobile di Montepulciano, of course, which enhances the flavour of the meat. Vegetarians will not be left down, as they can choose, in winter, a ribollita of vegetables accompanied by Chianti, or a fresh panzanella in summer with a Tuscan Viognier. And, for fish lovers, from the Livorno coast comes the typical cacciucco with a glass of Vermentino.

Finally, you cannot miss the Vin Santo DOC, with its intense flavour and fruity notes, along with the legendary Sienese cantucci, panforte, and ricciarelli.