Christmas wines

What do Italians eat and drink at Christmas? The right answer is that in every region (if not province) you’ll find different dishes, according to different environments and historical traditions.  The choice of wine has always been inextricably intertwined with the culinary local options.

Here is a quick glance to the Veneto region’s traditions and suitable wine matches:

As starters, cured meat is a classic. The most famous from Veneto is Soppressa, made from 100% pork. A medium bodied, crisp white wine like our Costeggiola Soave Classico will cut through the fatness. But a juicy red like our Tacchetto Bardolino Classico is a good option too.

In order to warm the Christmas spirit nothing better than a broth made with cappone, a cockerel that was fattened to improve the quality of the flesh. And the trick works! The tasty stock is served with tortellini stuffed with ham or beef, so you can match it with a more structured and savoury Soave, like our Ferra Soave Classico. But also a soft red with plenty of fruit like our Munus will work a treat.

The broth usually provides one popular second course that is bollito (stew). In Verona it is usually seasoned with pearà , a sauce made with stock, bread crumbs, bone marrow and pepper. A perfect choice is our velvety and structured Pojega Ripasso.

Roasts are a staple in the Italian festive menu, in particular those marinated in red wine, usually accompanied with polenta. Amarone, a member of the national wine aristocracy, is used in this type of preparation, leaving the beef overnight marinating in the wine. It makes for an expensive sauce but the results are amazing. Guerrieri Rizzardi is proud to produce two fine expressions of Amarone Classico, Villa Rizzardi e our flagship Calcarole. They are deep, full bodied and extremely elegant.

Dessert is a must. And takes various forms. As a winery from the Verona area we can help but to mention Pandoro. With its soft and sweet hug that calls for a sweet but fresh wine like our Recioto di Soave