How to pair wine to the Christmas desserts
Christmas is coming and under the Christmas tree there is always more Panettone, nougat and biscuits that will be served during the meals during the Christmas’ meals. But to conclude a great lunch they are not enough, you need the right wine.
Thus, what should we pair with Panettone and Nougat? Choose among our proposals of wines for the Christmas desserts, that won’t leave you disappointed.
Panettone with Prosecco or Moscato d’Asti
For dried and soft dessert like Pandoro and Panettone, there’s nothing better than a lively Italian bubble that clean the mouth and pair the food with its fruity notes. Choose a Prosecco DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene Brut; it is not too cloying thanks to the low quantity of sugar thus it is perfect with Panettone with candied fruit or cream. Otherwise you can give yourself a Prosecco Cartizze, famous for its notes of apple and pear together with notes of citrus and flowers, its perlage and the fruity perfumes make it perfect for a Christmas toast.
If you love sweet wines, instead, it is the right moment to tap a Moscato d’Asti; it is slightly bubbly, the taste is sweet and wrapping, perfect with the desserts, thanks to its aromatic and delicate notes.
Dried confectionery and Tuscan Vin Santo
Ricciarelli, amaretti and biscuits of Panpepato. Dried confectionery is perfect with Passito wines, sweet and liquorish. A glass of Vin Santo is ideal to dip the biscuits with dried fruit or spices, to conclude in the best way your Christmas lunch. We suggest you a Vin Santo from Tuscany or Umbria, obtained from withered grapes of Malvasia or Trebbiano, that give and incredible sweetness and aroma.
Nougat, Panforte and Passito
Passito wines, sweet and aromatic, are perfect with any type of dessert, also with creams and glaze, but they give their best also with hard nougat with dried fruit like almonds and walnuts. There are lots of delicious Passito wines produced all over Italy, we suggest you a Passito di Pantelleria: amber, sweet and aromatic, thanks to a slow withering of the grapes under the sun that create a sugary concentration between 25% and 55%, a sweet delicacy for the special occasions.
Chocolate and Barolo Chinato
This pairing is bordering on perfection! What is sure, is that this wine, with its incredible spicy notes, is perfect sipped with chocolate. If you don’t know it yet, taste it for Christmas, served with chocolate praline, flakes of dark chocolate, chocolate mousse or cakes with an intense aroma of cocoa paired with this precious production of Piedmont. Barolo Chinato is an aromatic wine and bittersweet, made adding Barolo DOCG to sugar and alcohol where spices and aromas have macerated in advance. Among them there is the bark of China Calisaia, root of rhubarb and gentian, cardamom. The durmast barrels, then, give a unique taste during the refining.
Another good alternative? The famous “Sangue del Piave”, Piave DOC red wine, flavoured with spices and cherries aged in durmast barrels. The notes of cherries, the hot and fruity aromas make it perfect with desserts and other creams with chocolate.
