Sipping Italian with turkey dinner
Thanksgiving can be predictable when it comes to the drinks. Pinot noir. Zinfandel. All-American choices. But as a nod to this year's Italian American-theme menu from chef Joe Cicala, we've decided to suggest a splash of Italian flavors, too. For example, why not loosen up the aunts and uncles with a cocktail made to echo some of the same amaro flavors they'l
Thanksgiving can be predictable when it comes to the drinks. Pinot noir. Zinfandel. All-American choices.
But as a nod to this year's Italian American-theme menu from chef Joe Cicala, we've decided to suggest a splash of Italian flavors, too. For example, why not loosen up the aunts and uncles with a cocktail made to echo some of the same amaro flavors they'll be tasting in that bird (due to the herbal liqueur used in the brine)? For this two-drink recipe for a "Manhattan all'Ascolana," blend six ounces of good old American Bulleit rye with two ounces of Meletti amaro and two dashes of bitters; shake well with ice, strain, and serve in two chilled martini glasses with Amarena cherries for your favorite relatives.
For wines, we turned to one of the PLCB's best "wine specialists," Max Gottesfeld of the State Store at 1218 Chesnut St., for three very affordable selections to match this meal. For non-cocktail-sipping guests, bubbles are always a fine way to set a happy mood, and this prosecco from La Marca is always a solid choice, a $15.99 deal (code 3636) that sparkles like peach honey blossoms with a pleasingly dry, tart finish. For an inexpensive white wine to match both the grassy notes of the artichokes and cut through the pancetta richness of the sweet potato gnocchi, Gottesfeld suggested Terredavino's 2014 Roero Arneis "Villata" (half off list price, now at $9.99, code 33940). This reviving grape variety in Piedmont offers crisp green apple and tropical floral notes on the nose, but a hint of creaminess on the tongue.
For the bird, meanwhile, both Cicala and Gottesfeld suggest a medium-bodied red, like Barbera del Monferrato, and this 2013 Cantine Valpane Rosso Pietro imported by Kermit Lynch is an ideal match at $12.99 (code 43915). "It has ripe cherry fruit on the nose, and enough acidity to work with a lot of different dishes," says Gottesfeld, who described the wine's signature earthiness as a "touch of whetstone that pulls you in."
Sounds like perfetto vino di turkey to me.
215-854-2682 @CraigLaBan www.philly.com/craiglaban
