A Thanksgiving Italian Wine and Food Roundup

Is it just me or did the holidays arrive very fast this year? I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving! I wanted to pull together many of our bloggers that participate in our monthly Italian Food, Wine & Travel group (#ItalianFWT) and get their tips on some food and wine pairings that they suggest or may be enjoying themselves over the holidays. Enjoy!

Jen of Vino Travels

Who doesn't love the holidays. Every year it takes me a bit to figure out what I want to open for each holiday since there are so many wonderful options. Thanksgiving can be a tricky holiday as there are so many accompaniments to the main turkey dish that it's important to find something versatile. My suggestion if you're a white wine lover are any of the white wines from lugana that I recently wrote about. If you choose the red path I recently tasted the 2012 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa that I truly enjoyed. I've always enjoyed an Amarone or Valpolicella of some sort during Thanksgiving.

Camilla of Culinary Adventures of Camilla

At less than $20 a bottle, Masi Campofiorin falls squarely in the "affordable, everyday" price range. And though it's not a splurge wine, I love bringing it to dinners at friends' houses throughout the holiday season...beginning with Thanksgiving.

Made through a similar double fermentation process - that was patented by Masi - the wine doesn't fit squarely into the traditional Ripasso process. But it does exhibit the traditional Ripasso characteristics and flavor profile. It's lush and complex with soft tannins so it's food-friendly and a great match with hearty, wintery dishes. If i'm pouring it at home, it's usually alongside Risotto all'Amarone.

Michele of Italian Journeys

Michele recommends a “primo” or first dish of tagliatelle bolognese with a “secondo” or second dish of bistecca fiorentina and Brunello. There is also the option in honor of the tragic earthquakes, bucatini amatriciana.

Mike of Undiscovered Italy

I love the idea of taking traditional Italian favorites and giving them an American twist. For example one year I made Thanksgiving arancini.  First I prepared a simple mashed sweet potato with some browned butter and sage for the filling. Then I cooked some short-grain brown rice risotto-style, using the reserved sweet potato water as my broth. The result looked a lot like Sicilian street food but it sure tasted like Thanksgiving! 

Eleonora of Italian Storytellers

Verdicchio is one of the most famous wines of Le Marche region. It’s a white wine and its name reminds the green color - ‘verde’ in Italian language. There are 2 Verdicchio wines: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica. You can drink Verdicchio with a starter or a main course. It depends on the ageing. I suggest you to buy a bottle of Verdicchio di Matelica for your Thanksgiving meal to help people hit by the earthquake few weeks ago. They’ll really appreciate it.

A glass of Verdicchio is good for the soul!

Jill of L'Occasion

This Thanksgiving I'm looking for sparkly, fresh and zesty wine to share with my family and friends. Trentodoc Metodo Classico from Rotari is on our menu this year! I'm looking forward to the freshness of these sparkling wines with our meal and, frankly, all weekend. The spirit of the Dolamites gets me excited for winter and the upcoming Christmas holiday, and these wines will kick off the season. 

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