Eat Italian, drink Missouri

Most of us probably think of pairing Italian wines with Italian foods, but I hope you’ll consider using our state’s wines instead. It’s not as odd as it sounds. I have long contended that, unlike typical New World-style West Coast wines, Missouri’s wines are made in a style closer to that of Europe. Our sweeter whites are somewhat Germanic in style, for example, and our dry whites and dry reds are reminiscent of the wines of Italy. Virtually any type of cuisine, from anywhere in the world, will match up with a wine from Italy; I would certainly extend that challenge to our range of wines in Missouri. This really hit home for me when I recently attended VINO 2009, an industry convention of Italian wines in America, presented by the Italian Trade Commission at multiple locations around Manhattan. Sponsored by the regional governments of Abruzzo, Calabria, Lombardy, Tuscany and Veneto, the wines and foods of these five regions were showcased at a number of dinners. At the Abruzzo-themed dinner, the white wine served was made from the grape Pecorino. It reminded me of some of the delicious Vidal Blancs from our local wineries. Vidal is closely related to Italy’s Trebbiano, another variety grown in Abruzzo. The red wine served at the same dinner was made from the grape Montepulciano. While the group of guests from around the country sniffed and sipped and expressed their opinions, my thought was, “Wow, this smells like Norton.” The similarities between Missouri and Italian wines don’t stop there. Missouri’s dry sparkling wines are not as muscular or yeasty as French Champagne, but they are much in the style of Italian bubbles, particularly Prosecco. Proseccos are mostly from Veneto in northeast Italy. Missouri whites are similar in style to some of the crisp dry whites of Italy, particularly the bottlings that are aged in stainless steel rather than oak barrels. Risotto and polenta are like blank canvasses on which a chef can paint with vegetables, seafood or cheese. While many of us might first think to pair Chardonnay with these dishes, the typical oaky style of West Coast Chardonnay is not the most food-friendly. Italian Chardonnay, on the other hand, is generally unoaked, and very kind to pairing with food. When you taste a stainless steel-aged Missouri Chardonel, a child of the famed Chardonnay, you will find much of the same character of the beautifully fresh Italian Chardonnays, making them a good contender for pairing with your next Italian meal. Dessert wine is often thought of as late-harvest whites, like those you’d find in Germany, or port, the famed fortified wine of Portugal. In Italy, you might simply be offered a glass of Vin Santo, the luscious and weighty dessert wine of Tuscany. When I have this wine, I always think of Missouri white port, now known by the more modern name of dessert wine thanks to new liquor labeling laws. When I hear criticism about the style of Missouri wines because they don’t taste like the familiar wines of California or France, I always tell people that the largest category of wines imported into the United States is Italian wine, and Italian wines do not taste at all like French or American wines, either. So when you eat Italian, drink Missouri. Certified sommelier Glenn Bardgett has overseen Annie Gunn’s award-winning wine list for the last eight years.