Everyone loves to find alternatives to common traditions. It happens in the art world, in fashion and of course also in the kitchen. We don’t have to rely on the creativeness of great chefs who “deconstruct” culinary classics or “radicalize” gastronomic specialties. There are ways we can reinvent the classics as well on our own, starting with adding some imagination to our everyday pairings.
Food pairings is a perfect place to start – how many times have you had to choose a wine for your fish dish and quickly eliminated close to half your selection because you have focused only on white wine? Despite what tradition tells us, you can indeed drink red wine with your fish dish.
Chianti is a red wine that is synonymous with Tuscan quality. You can choose from a young Chianti or an aged Chianti, and it actually goes well with many different types of food, yet we seem to consistently pair it with the same foods – cheeses and red meats.
Not all Chiantis are alike. The structure of a Chianti Castaldo pairs well with fish that are rich in natural oils, such as fresh salmon, swordfish or tuna.
Don’t be tricked into thinking this Tuscan wine needs to be paired exclusively with Tuscan specialties such as the T-bone Florentine steak. Chianti is a good wine pairing for fish-based pasta sauces, tasty soups and even grilled fish.
The important thing to look at is where the Chianti is produced, as in the actual area of production which gives the wine its unique organoleptic characteristics which can change from production to production, making it possible to find a production which actually makes for a good summer pairing wine as well.
