The more “research” that I do with wines from Chianti Classico, the more I am finding about their incredible versatility. These Sangiovese-based wines shouldn’t be limited to pizza and Sunday pasta dinner.
Frank and Daniel Grace from Il Molino de Grace taught me to widen my dining spectrum when drinking Chianti.
With their inspiration, I decided to pair the $23.99 Volpaia Chianti Classico with a wider range of foods. So far, and nothing against the other eight regions of Chianti, the Classico region has been a favorite of mine.
The Volpaia Chianti is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% merlot from high-altitude vineyards. Castello di Volpaia had been making wine for 800 years. It was one of the earliest certified organic wineries in Italy.
I sipped on this wine for three days.
On Day 1, I ordered a stromboli from Lucci’s Place in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with mushrooms added. The mushrooms and spicy pepperoni enhanced the earthy aromas and cherry flavors of the wine.
On Day 2, I had a glass with a hunk of Grana Padano and aged gouda cheeses. Great! The acidity of the wine stood up to an appetizer portion of wasabi ahi poke tuna, which I thought was an unbelievable test for any Chianti. Arugula salad with pear and walnuts as well as homemade chicken paprikas proved to be excellent companions.
On Day 3, the wine was still drinking fab. This Tuscan beauty was raring to go with my pulled pork sandwich from Cuyahoga Falls' Big Eu’es BBQ.
