It is not surprising that the wine made within sight of the famous towers of San Gimignano in Italy’s province of Siena in Tuscany goes well with the local foods. Vernaccia is a low-volume white wine, made from the Vernaccia grape with a small amount of other grape varieties, usually Chardonnay. It was the first wine in Italy to gain the DOC classification back in 1966. In 1993 it was recognized as a DOCG wine, the only white Italian wine to bear this esteemed classification (Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita).
Vernaccia is a full-bodied white wine, golden in colour, crisp and clean, that should be drunk young unless it is a Riserva, which means it will last from three to five years after harvest. Only 10 percent addition of other grape varieties is permitted. San Gimignano was mentioned as early as 1276 and Dante wrote about it in his “Divine Comedy.”
In general, soups, pasta dishes, and chicken and fish dishes go well with Vernaccia di San Gimignano, as well as appetizers and some desserts.
Artichoke antipasto
12 small artichokes
50 mL (1/4 cup) lemon juice
15 mL (1 tbsp) white wine vinegar
375 mL (1 1/2 cups) Vernaccia
2 small bay leaves
2 cloves
3 peppercorns
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
Olive oil
2 additional bay leaves
2 additional peppercorns
Remove outer leaves and tops of artichokes. Cut off all outer stalks and dip hearts into lemon juice. Mix wine, vinegar, two bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and lemon slices. Add artichokes and simmer for 10 minutes or so, until artichokes are tender. Drain well and place in glass jar. Cover with olive oil, additional bay leaves, and peppercorns, and let stand for three days. Add more oil if necessary and cover jar. Store in a cool place. This keeps for several months.
Pike with raisins
1 kg (2 lbs) pike
500 mL (2 cups) Vernaccia
1 carrot, sliced
10 mL (2 tsp) minced parsley
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, chopped
1 mL (1/4 tsp) salt
125 mL (1/2 cup) seedless raisins
10 mL (2 tsp) butter
Wash pike. Put it in a deep skillet, add wine, carrot, parsley, bay leaf, onion, and salt and cook for 45 minutes. Remove fish, put on serving dish and keep warm. Strain pan gravy, add raisins and boil gently for 10 or 15 minutes. Add butter, mix well, and pour over the fish. Serves two.
Panforte di Siena
This Tuscan specialty has been famous since the 15th century. The original recipe is secret but this one approximates it. In North America, the cake is usually bought in Italian specialty stores and eaten for Christmas or special occasions. In Siena you can buy a piece and eat it on the way home. It’s excellent with Vernaccia!
125 mL (1/2 cup) blanched almonds
125 mL (1/2 cup) hazelnuts
15 mL (1 tbsp) butter, divided
250 mL (1 cup) candied orange peel
175 mL (3/4 cup) candied lemon peel
175 mL (3/4 cup) flour
250 mL (1 cup) honey
250 mL (1 cup) white sugar
15 mL (1 tbsp) confectioners’ sugar
Toast nuts lightly in a teaspoon of butter. Cut orange and lemon peels finely. Mix all ingredients except for honey and sugars. Pour honey into a large pan, add granulated sugar and cook at low heat, mixing and stirring well until almost at boiling point. Add dry ingredients, stir well and remove from heat. Butter and flour a springform cake pan and pour the mixture in. Bake at 150º C (300º F) for 35 minutes. Serve cold, sprinkled with the confectioners’ sugar.
Susan Hallett is an award-winning writer and editor who has written for The Beaver, The Globe Mail, Wine Tidings and Doctor’s Review among many others. Email: hallett_susan@hotmail.com
Article source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/life/tuscan-foods-and-vernaccia-the-white-wine-of-san-gimignano-62786.html
