There's nothing that says "Irpinia" more than sitting down to lunch with family and friends with a beautiful glass of Aglianico wine and a steaming plate of pasta topped with a simple, delicious sugo.
The big tannins and acidity you'll find in an Aglianico wine pairs perfectly with the simplicity of this red sauce, usually made from tomatoes grown in the chef's own garden. Just the thought of this delightful combo is making my mouth water so I'm not going to waste anymore time getting to the good stuff below.
Perfect Pairing: Aglianico and a simple sugo
A Tale as Old as Time This winning combo of Aglianico wine and pasta with a simple tomato sauce has existed, well, forever here as the locals tell me. Families have passed down their particular ways of harvesting bottling their family's tomato to be used as the base for their sugo throughout the year when it comes time for a plate of pasta to be shared around the table. The same goes for their family's version of Aglianico wine. Each family has their own traditions for crafting their wines from the harvest to bottle, and no two will be exactly the same. It's one of my favorite things about this region.
Aglianico from Irpinia If you like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Barolo, you're going to LOVE Aglianico wines from Irpinia. This was the red wine I never knew I’d been waiting for my whole life to drink. Wines crafted by the families and individuals I've sought out are always showing the best representations of this big, bold, red wine that is supremely drinkable. There are cherries and red forest fruits, and sometimes tobacco notes that will balance perfectly with the tannin and acidity combo of this wine. Some of my favorite bottles right now: Azienda Agricola Boccella Rassott 2019, Il Cancelliere Taurasi 2017, Tenuta Vincenzo Nardone Terre di Venticano 2020.
Time to pair!! Grab a bottle of Aglianico and your favorite pasta and let's get cooking.
Simple Sugo Recipe
ingredients:
2 - 400 g (14-14.5 oz) can of tomatoes in tomato sauce/juice (I love cherry tomatoes)
Kosher Salt
2 cloves of garlic whole
Sea salt to taste
Good quality olive oil
preparation:
Gently warm olive oil in a large frying pan over a low to medium flame and then add the whole garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic just starts to turn golden. Add your tomatoes and a large pinch of sea salt and cook until the tomatoes are soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon ~ about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. You can also add in any herbs you like at this point, or leave the tomatoes to shine on their own.
Send me a note to order an Aglianico from Irpinia...best decision you'll make all week.