Welcome to the second edition of food and wine matching with Small Victories Wine Co!
We’d like to start off by reminding you – don’t be afraid to experiment with your food and wine pairings – whilst people might tell you there are ‘rules’, there are not. We each have our own preferences and everyone’s palate is different, so just give it a go!
That being said, if you’re new to medium-bodied red wines, you might like some tips on food matches for sangiovese, or maybe you’re just after some ideas so you don’t need to decide what’s for dinner on Wednesday night!
We’ve just launched our first two red wines, so today we’re going to look at giving you some ideas for food and wine pairings for sangiovese.
WHAT IS SANGIOVESE?
Our Sangiovese is medium bodied and super vibrant with a savoury finish but it is a variety that can be made in many styles.
Sangiovese originates from Italy, where it is the most commonly grown red variety, and is famously from Tuscany. It is one of the original alternative varieties planted in Australia in the 1970s and continues to increase in popularity as Aussies discover more about the wine!
If you’d like to read more about the history of sangiovese in Australia, check out this article from Wine Australia.
With reasonably high acidity and tannin structure, sangiovese certainly makes for a good food partner…
WHAT FOODS SHOULD I PAIR WITH SANGIOVESE?
As sangiovese originates from Italy, classic pairing suggestions are tomato based dishes, such as pasta with marinara sauce or a rare steak.
Some other recipes we love to pair sangiovese with:
Try this simple Niçoise salad from Stephanie Alexander for a quick mid-week dinner.
Who doesn’t want to find the perfect pizza wine? Look no further. We love this simple Margherita pizza recipe (wood-fired pizza oven optional – I only have my normal oven at home!)
Melissa Moore (wine reviewer and sommelier) has suggested our sangiovese would be “Perfect slightly chilled on a warm summer’s day poured with wood-fired ‘nduja pizza and torn burrata.” Here’s a Nduja pizza recipe to try.
In the cooler months, sangiovese will be a great match for gamey slow cooked dishes. I don’t know if you’re a fan of The Hairy Bikers, Simon and David, and their travels, but they’ve got a great Venison Cobbler dish.
In the warmer months, while at a friend’s place, you can pop a bottle into the esky to chill for a little and then enjoy with the bbq lunch and shared salads.
Or for a great afternoon snack, simply pair with some chunks of pecorino or parmesan!
SHARE YOUR SANGIOVESE FOOD PAIRINGS!
We hope you’ve found some inspiration from our suggestions for food matches with our Sangiovese.
If you create a great food and wine match, we’d love you to share it with us – tag us @smallvictorieswineco and #celebrateyoursmallvictoriestoday on Instagram or Facebook.
’til next time, Jess
