Tuscany
4 wine routes
All 4 Tuscany drives
Page 9 of 11
Italian Food and Wine Pairing Guide, Page 9
Pairings at a Glance
Showing 81–90 of 109 dishes
Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna
Tagliatelle al Tartufo di Acqualagna is the Marche's egg pasta with black truffle from Acqualagna, the Pesaro-Urbino truffle town. November and the first snow bring the best harvest. Verdicchio di Matelica DOCG Riserva or a young Barbaresco DOCG carry the truffle aroma without masking it; Rosso Conero Riserva DOCG works for heavier truffle loads.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Tajarin al Tartufo
Tajarin al Tartufo are the Piedmontese yolk-rich egg strands, thirty yolks per kilo of flour, tossed in brown butter and covered with shaved white truffle from Alba. The dish is autumn on a plate. Barbaresco DOCG or an aged Langhe Nebbiolo DOC are the Piemontese answers; Roero Arneis DOCG is the white option when the truffle is lighter.
Appellations to explore
Tegole
Tegole valdostane are thin almond wafers, named for the shape of the local roof tiles they resemble. Saint-Vincent and the Aosta valley make them as an after-dinner sweet with coffee. Chambave Muscat from the Valle d'Aosta DOC or a Moscato d'Asti DOCG carry the almond delicately; Petite Arvine Flétri is the structured Valdostano sweet alternative.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
AstiDOCG
CanelliDOCG
Custoza/Bianco di CustozaDOC
Moscadello di MontalcinoDOC
Moscato di SardegnaDOC
Torta Barozzi
Torta Barozzi is the Emilian dark-chocolate and coffee cake, invented in 1886 by Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola. The recipe is guarded; the texture is almost flourless. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro amabile matches the dark chocolate; Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG brings the elegant option; Vin Santo del Chianti Classico carries the coffee note.
Appellations to explore
AstiDOCG
CanelliDOCG
Custoza/Bianco di CustozaDOC
Lambrusco di SorbaraDOC
Lambrusco Grasparossa di CastelvetroDOC
Torta Della Nonna
Torta della Nonna is the Tuscan grandmother's custard tart, shortcrust filled with crema pasticciera and studded with pine nuts, baked until the surface blisters. Every Tuscan kitchen carries a version. Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC, from Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia dried on cane racks, is the correct pair; the tart was built around the dunking ritual.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Malvasia
Sangiovese
Appellations to explore
Torta pasqualina
Torta Pasqualina is the Ligurian Easter pie, thirty-three thin layers of pasta matta folded around wild greens, ricotta and whole eggs. Pigato di Albenga or a young Vermentino di Colli di Luni DOC has the salt-lift the oil-rich filling asks for. The eggs inside are meant to stay partly runny when the pie is sliced.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Pigato
Rossese
Appellations to explore
Cinque Terre/Cinque Terre SciacchetràDOC
Rossese di Dolceacqua/DolceacquaDOC
Val di CorniaDOC
Vermentino di GalluraDOCG
Vermentino di SardegnaDOC
Tortei di patate
Tortei di Patate are the Trentino potato cakes, grated potato pan-fried until the edges caramelise, served alongside speck, radicchio or game. The dish belongs to the Fiemme and Fassa valleys. Teroldego Rotaliano DOC and Trentino Marzemino DOC are the local red pair; Nosiola handles the lighter sides.
Perfect grape varieties
Teroldego
Also worth trying
Marzemino
Nosiola
Appellations to explore
Teroldego RotalianoDOC
ValtenesiDOC
Trofie al pesto
Trofie al Pesto are the Ligurian hand-rolled pasta with basil pesto, served with Taggiasca olives, green beans and potato. The pesto belongs to Genoa; the trofie to Recco and Camogli. Vermentino di Colli di Luni DOC, Pigato di Albenga or a Rossese di Dolceacqua covers the herb and the olive oil; no dense Italian red belongs on this plate.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Pigato
Appellations to explore
Cinque Terre/Cinque Terre SciacchetràDOC
Val di CorniaDOC
Vermentino di GalluraDOCG
Vermentino di SardegnaDOC
Truffle risotto
Truffle Risotto is a Piedmont rice dish, buttered and finished with shaved truffle so the perfume stays above the grain rather than inside a heavy sauce. The style belongs naturally to the Langhe and Monferrato table, where rice and truffle meet without unnecessary garnish. A restrained Nebbiolo or a fine metodo classico has the lift and savoury tension to keep the earthiness precise.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Vitello Tonnato
Vitello Tonnato is the Piedmontese cold summer veal, sliced thin and covered with an emulsion of tuna, capers, anchovy and egg yolk. The dish is 19th-century Piedmontese bourgeois cooking, served at room temperature on hot days. Roero Arneis DOCG or a Gavi di Gavi DOCG from Cortese bring the crispness the tuna-emulsion demands; a Barbera d'Alba served slightly cool handles the heavier winter version.
Appellations to explore
LangheDOC
Barbera d'AlbaDOC
Barbera d'AstiDOCG
Barbera del MonferratoDOC
Barbera del Monferrato SuperioreDOCG
