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FEB. MAR. 2020 X AT PAGE 34 AT THE TABLE Wine Pairing. The art of associating wine with dishes Understanding the basics of the magical combination of food and drink is not impossible. In fact, with a few tricks the ideal matches are created in our hands. It’s just a matter of pairing. In addition to food pairing, there are chalices that open new and exciting paths By Riccardo Sada Food and wine pairing creates a balance between the components of a dish and the characteristics of a wine. As complex as combining food and wine is, the basics are simple to understand. An appropriate combination creates balance by amplifying the aromatic compounds and emphasizing sharing. Some also call it matching. Entering one of the most beautiful and wild areas of Sannio, in the Benevento area, is a continuous discovery of ancient and authentic flavours, starting with the excellent wines that populate this part of Campania. On the slopes of Monte Taburno a wine of great value is produced, the homonymous Aglianico, a DOC ruby red wine, resulting from the favourable environmental conditions. Alongside this production is also a renowned variety of white wines, the Falanghina. Taking advantage of the uniqueness of the Benevento area, we went into wine pairing not only in terms of food and wine but also of marketing strategy. You can’t stop at the region. Nowadays you have to broaden your horizons, being aware that there are more than twenty different tastes present in food: from the simplest, including sweet, acidic and fatty ones, to the extreme that goes from spicy to umami, the fifth taste (Japanese for tasty). In wine pairing you have to focus ‘only’ on six flavours: saltiness, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, roundness and spiciness. Always consider intensity. And be creative. A salad may look light, but if its dressing is a highly acidic balsamic vinaigrette, things change. The strength of a dish is not taken for granted, that’s why you need to focus only on the intensity of each component of the taste (acidity, fat, sweet ...). Having identified all the basic components in the dish, you can start testing the options and the resulting combinations. Once the balance has been created with the main elements of taste, both in wine and in the dish, you can become creative. How? Combining the mildest flavors. Angelo Uzzo, chef of the La Fortezza estate (Torrecuso Bn) for six years, clarifies the food and wine tandem. “Food is the basis of our lives,” he says, “each one of us, in order to carry out our daily activities, needs to take on a certain number of calories, but for me food and wine are above all joy, they are elements that furnish and warm the house and the kitchen, they are the centre of creativity of a dish. You have to start from here, analyze the taste and smell details and create a puzzle.” How do you choose the right wine to use in cooking? On the basis of what? Wine, in addition to being the drink that accompanies and enhances the taste of the dishes, is also an important ingredient for giving flavor to many recipes. Choosing a good wine to cook is very important. The first rule is to avoid a mature and old vintage, whose taste is ill-suited to the taste nuances of the food; preferably choose a young or new wine. The second rule is to opt for a wine to cook by tying it to the type of ingredients you are going to use. For example, white wines are mainly chosen to prepare soups and to flavour fish, white meat, vegetables and various desserts. Red wines, instead, should be used to cook red meat, sauces, braised meat and stew. In our range there is the Aglianico, which we use for the Marche stew, for the Aglianico braised meat, risotto with Aglianico reduction. But Falanghina is also used in our dishes. What are the rules for the best pairing between food and wine? An important thing to pay attention to will be the pairing with the wine to drink during the meal. The first rule is to choose the same wine used for cooking in order to harmonize the taste between what you eat and what you drink. Alternatively, not having the same type of wine used for cooking, it is advisable to drink one with more or less similar characteristics to maintain a good balance of harmony and body. THE RELATIONSHIP WITH RESTAURANTS Everyone is interested in being able to enjoy starred and high-end restaurants. But the main objective is to bring as many consumers as possible closer together. “Affirming a brand is only possible through the diffusion of the same - according to Enzo Rillo, owner of La Fortezza - The company is in constant search of novelty and innovation, always with the main objective of customer satisfaction. A product becomes good when the consumer can find it, and then choose it, and finally appreciate it. Our strength lies in the quality and MAGAZINE