Tomato cream sauce based dishes are always a challenge for sommeliers. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend a wine to pair with tomato cream sauce dishes:
"Tomato cream sauces are notoriously unfriendly to wine pairings. However, in such circumstances, I look at the elements. Cream is soft. Tomato is acidic. My choice would be a good Gewurztraminer from Alsace, or even New Zealand. The Gewurz, with its lychee flavors tend not to compete but add very interesting nuances when paired with tomato cream sauce. From Alsace, try Hugel or Riefle. From New Zealand, try Spy Valley. On the other hand, when in doubt about a food and wine pairing, I often look towards the Buy Chateau Musar Ch. Musar from Lebanon, in the case of a tomato cream sauce, the white to be specific. Lebanon’s cuisine is so incredibly varied, only about 10% of it is found in Lebanese restaurants in America, and so their wines have to be made to be more versatile than other regions. If serving the white Chateau Musar, make sure that you buy the oldest vintage that you can find and serve it at room temperature. Be warned, you may be confused by this wines, they are unique and intriguing, not to everyone’s taste, unless you can hit that perfect food pairing." - Bartholomew Broadbent, CEO, Broadbent Selections, San Francisco
Buy the Agostino Pavia Barbera d'Asti Bricco Blina"Pairing the perfect wine with tomato and cream sauce based dishes can be challenging. Why? The sweet and full flavors of tomatoes generally pair better with bright reds, however, vibrant whites with good acidity tend to cut through the inherent richness of many cream based dishes. My suggestion however, would be to go for a a light bodied, high acid red wine with little to no oak influence. A great place to discover such wines is Italy’s Piedmont region. Although most famous for Barolo and Barbaresco, this cool climate wine growing region is chalk full of incredible wines that pair beautifully with food. I recommend either the 2005 Agostino Pavia Barbera d'Asti Bricco Blina $14.99 or the 2005 La Casaccia Monferrato Freisa $14.99" - Mulan Chan, Rhône and French Regional Buyer, K&L Wine Merchants
Buy the François Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire Clos du Breuil"Chenin Blanc. Specifically I suggest the François Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire Clos du Breuil (any vintage available). Chidaine’s wines can be hard to come by. My wife and I have recently been doing a lot of wine pairings and tastings. In the process we have come to love the versatility of Chenin Blanc. In this particular wine there is an intensity of fruit and minerality that is both delicious and refreshing. A lot of cream sauces can be heavy, tomato cream sauces however tend to be lighter in character than an alfredo sauce. In this pairing, the richness is replaced by the wine which serves the dual role of cleansing the palate and elevating the character of the dish. (About $20)" – Ben Spencer is a diploma student with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and an IntoWine Featured Writer.
Buy Fattoria La Monacesca WinesPasta with a tomato cream sauce is a dish that is near and dear to my heart. The textures and flavors oppose one another but together, tomatoes and cream create a magical ‘something something’ that is rich yet bright. A good rendition perfectly coats pasta so that it is not too heavy but just adds flavor. In general, I prefer acid high white wines with any type of cream sauce and in the case of a tomato cream sauce, I would seek out a good Verdicchio from the Marche region of Italy.
There are two appellations that are known for Verdicchio, Castelli di Jesi and Metalica. Sometimes Verdicchio is aged and fermented in barrel. What people don’t realize is that it has an ability to age and is often best five to tens years after the vintage. My pick with a tomato cream sauce would be the Fattoria La Monacesca ‘Mirum,’ 2001 Verdicchio de Metalica. Aged for more than two years in stainless steel tanks and bottle, this seven-year-old wine has an array of apple flavors, chamomile tea and hazelnuts with bright acidity and minerals. If you cannot find this wine, Bucci and Colonnara Cuprese also make very good Verdicchio from Castelli di Jesi. - Pamela Busch, Owner/Wine Director, CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen, San Francisco
There is currently a raging debate as to the validity of what an “influencer” is. Who are the most influential wine people in the United States, and how exactly do you define ‘influential?’ Does an influential mean a person who moves markets, impacts consumers, inspires winemakers, forms policy,...
People love lists; they can be a great source of education and discussion. But making a list such as this is not an easy process. Who are the most influential wine people in the U.S., and how exactly do you define ‘influential?’ Does influential mean people who move markets, impact consumers, inspire winemakers, and create debate? In a word, yes. These 100 people, from winemakers to law makers, bankers to bloggers, and sommeliers to celebrities are definitely people who influence wine; how it is made, marketed, perceived, sold, shipped, purchased and shared.
Our 2013 iteration of this list is intended as a source of education and discussion. The making of this list is never an easy process. Who are the most influential wine people in the United States, and how exactly do you define ‘influential?’ Does influential mean people who move markets, impact consumers, inspire winemakers, form policy, and create debate? Yes. Though some decry the consolidation of the wine industry (and that is an issue worth considering) we are not trying to suggest who is “good” or “bad” within America’s wine industry. We merely define the Top 100 people, from winemakers to law makers, bankers to bloggers, and sommeliers to celebrities who influence wine; how it is made, marketed, perceived, sold, shipped, purchased, shared and consumed. As was true in 2012, we sought help to assemble this list people from a diverse group of people and we are grateful for their input. And we chose to release it today, January 29th, as it was on this day in 1919 when the pathetic policy of Prohibition was ratified; the effects of this lunatic legislation still evident in our country’s inability to ship and sell wine across state lines. We honor winemakers, wine drinkers and wine lovers of every conceivable demographic. Use this list, comment on it, share it with everyone, learn from it, and continue your joy of being IntoWine.
Ah the ubiquitous list. Everywhere you turn these days there is a top 10, the best 50, or some iteration of a who’s who list. So we can’t resist, besides, our Top 100 Most Influential Wine Industry list scored a lot of buzz, created a lot of chatter and even made a few enemies. This list is all about winemakers, those currently making wine here in America – not the great ones who have come before, but folks who make wines you can find now. There are some 7,000 bonded wineries in the U.S., and there’s a lot of forgettable wine being made. And in a world of homogenization of wine styles and a sense that our domestic wine industry is not legitimate without a French or Italian flare, we desire to promote regional flavor profiles of all American wine craftspeople. There are names here you’ll know and recognize, and names you never heard of but everyone on this list is influencing the public, fellow winemakers and the media in large and small ways. Use this list to learn about wines, varieties and regions you may not have considered; comment on it, share it with everyone, but above all continue your joy of being IntoWine.
BEST OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH NAPA TASTING ROOMS After having visited numerous renowned wineries, many of us are looking for the hidden gems within the Napa Valley. Good wines are certainly valued, but the entire experience a winery provides leaves guests wanting to return and telling their friends and family to visit. Each winery listed in this article has some special draw, whether it’s art, architecture, ambiance, gardens or compelling history.
