Scaia Corvina Pairing with Italian Cuisine at Bologna, Indiranagar

In my effort to seek the right vino to pair with Italian Cuisine, I was introduced to Scaia by the team of Wine Park -the frontrunner of Wine importers in India. My chance meeting with their spokesperson resulted in the idea of this very exclusive private dinner to relish this unique Corvina Veneto IGT 2015 and its compatibility with a few of my favourite dishes from Bologna, Indiranagar.

My relationship with Italian cuisine has transcended a few decades. Being an ardent carnivore, I decided to stick to Red Meat and Cheese as this evening’s accompaniments to pair with this medium bodied wine which evolves over an hour in the glass.

Scaia is ruby red in texture with a tinge of deep purple and comes with a glass cork, something I have not come across earlier in my experience with Italian wines. It can be decanted or simply poured from the bottle and its aroma evolves over an hour. You can experience wood smoke, black cherries and wild berries on the nose which set it apart from the regular pours that we usually endure at bars and restaurants. You would probably expect Scaia to be high on tannins, but in reality is smooth as silk on the palate and glides through. This 2015 Veneto is medium bodied and is best enjoyed over casual occasions with subtle flirtation.

My first pairing was with the Cheese Platter and more precisely the Smoked English Cheddar and the Danish Blu. Although I personally prefer Dana Blu over Cheddar, ironically both paired perfect with Scaia. Although, I still feel I would stick to my Stilton before picking up a pack of wheat crackers to top it with.

The Charcuterie or the Cold Cuts was my next pairing endeavour and it was the Mortadella that went best from the assortment. The Prosciutto was up next in line to go with the floral aromas of this wine.

The Salmon e Rughetta was up next and the Carpaccio complimented the notes of this medium bodied wine. However the capers were contrasting to its flavour and aroma. So I decided to add some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to negate this collision of notes.

Tagliata di Manzo or Herb marinated Tenderloin with Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes was my choice for Main and it paired well with this medium done steak, although the red wine jus was not something I decided to add. This is primarily to retain the flavour of Scaia intact. If you add the steak sauce, its sweet notes will overpower that of the wine and the pairing becomes redundant.

Of the options on the Dessert Platter comprising of a traditional Tiramisu, Caramel Slice, Mango Mousse and Panna Cotta, It was definitely the Caramel which complimented the sultry notes of this exquisite wine. My next attempt would be to pair it with some seafood and white meat namely Chicken and Fish and see where I land up. Till then, I am going to savour this exotic wine with my Blue Cheese and Wheat Crackers. Santé!!