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Best Wine to Pair with Pasta Bolognese

With winter upon us thoughts naturally drift towards warm comfort food.  Wit this in mind, IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to suggest a great wine to pair with pasta bolognese:

Because Bolognese is a thick tomato and meat based red sauce, it tends to need a tannin friendly, but acidic wine. Therefore the Palmina 2007 Dolcetto ($20) from Santa Barbara blends seamlessly with Bolognese. The dolcetto’s acid works with the tomato base and the rich ripe fruit blends well with whatever meat used in the sauce. Dolcettos by there nature are built as food friendly wine and certainly it’s a variety you don’t see too often. Of course there are wines available from Italy, but some areas of California are producing outstanding Italian varietals. Palmina focuses of Italian varieties and has quietly been making excellent wines. - Michael Cervin, Wine Judge, Restaurant Critic, and IntoWine Featured Writer

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Buy Anna Maria WinesThe key to a brilliant Bolognese is cooking various meats with simple vegetables and cream for several hours. The enzymes in the cream break down the proteins in the meat and extend the richness of the sauce. To that end, you need a bold red wine to match the amount of flavor in the sauce. My suggestion is the Italian Barbera – in particular Anna Maria’s Abbona Cadò Langhe Rosso. Barbera has enough acidity to cut the richness of Bolognese sauce and a treasure chest of flavors to mirror the sweetness that comes from the vegetable sugars that break down during the extended cooking process. The 2004 vintage of this wine received praise from Gambero Rosso in 2007 receiving the ‘due bicchieri’ award. A bottle of this wine and a plate of Bolognese pasta is the perfect pairing. (About $25) - Ben Spencer, Cellar Master at Bernardus Winery and IntoWine Featured Writer

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Best Wine to Pair with Pasta Bolognese

With winter upon us thoughts naturally drift towards warm comfort food.  Wit this in mind, IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to suggest a great wine to pair with pasta bolognese:

Because Bolognese is a thick tomato and meat based red sauce, it tends to need a tannin friendly, but acidic wine. Therefore the Palmina 2007 Dolcetto ($20) from Santa Barbara blends seamlessly with Bolognese. The dolcetto’s acid works with the tomato base and the rich ripe fruit blends well with whatever meat used in the sauce. Dolcettos by there nature are built as food friendly wine and certainly it’s a variety you don’t see too often. Of course there are wines available from Italy, but some areas of California are producing outstanding Italian varietals. Palmina focuses of Italian varieties and has quietly been making excellent wines. - Michael Cervin, Wine Judge, Restaurant Critic, and IntoWine Featured Writer

-------------------------------------------

Buy Anna Maria WinesThe key to a brilliant Bolognese is cooking various meats with simple vegetables and cream for several hours. The enzymes in the cream break down the proteins in the meat and extend the richness of the sauce. To that end, you need a bold red wine to match the amount of flavor in the sauce. My suggestion is the Italian Barbera – in particular Anna Maria’s Abbona Cadò Langhe Rosso. Barbera has enough acidity to cut the richness of Bolognese sauce and a treasure chest of flavors to mirror the sweetness that comes from the vegetable sugars that break down during the extended cooking process. The 2004 vintage of this wine received praise from Gambero Rosso in 2007 receiving the ‘due bicchieri’ award. A bottle of this wine and a plate of Bolognese pasta is the perfect pairing. (About $25) - Ben Spencer, Cellar Master at Bernardus Winery and IntoWine Featured Writer