Selecting champagnes to enjoy with Italian cuisine needn’t be an overwhelming exercise. Classic and seasonal flavours can inspire favourable unions with a variety of champagnes, especially richer styles. Award-winning Melbourne sommelier, Kara Maisano, gives her opinion on some of the best champagne and Italian food combinations.
The revival of entertaining at home and interest in rediscovering culinary talents inspires my thoughts on favourite champagnes for feasting all’italiana.
The winter sun brings an abundance of leafy greens, glorious citrus, earthy mushrooms, orchard fruits, quinces, winter artichokes and root vegetables. And the cold waters of August are when oysters are at their best. As a sommelier, succinct pairings with comparatively simple dishes produce an unambiguous and satisfying union.
Flavours, captured by the season and terroir of the crop, is as true to food as it is to champagne, particularly vintage champagne.
The Italian cuisine philosophy passed onto me by my father, Swiss-trained chef, Richard Maisano, is that seasonality is what inspires the best pairings. Flavours, captured by the season and terroir of the crop, is as true to food as it is to champagne, particularly vintage champagne. Sourcing the best, locally, is also integral to transforming a meal into a masterpiece.Italian cuisine can - at times - seem basic and rustic, but there is skill and a level of fastidiousness required when acquiring the right olive oil, the freshest ingredients and fragrant herbs which can make or break the dish.
Keeping cosy in winter often means enjoying hearty stews, sauce-laden pasta, aromatic roasts,
soft and hard cheeses and molten puddings. Many turn to robust reds from the Barossa or powerful Tuscan blends, however champagne can offer just as much opulence and diversity – a panacea to our winter blues. Non‐vintage champagnes with a higher proportion of reserve wine are potentially superb compliments and can hold their own alongside bolder flavours. Rosé champagne, one of champagne’s most exciting categories, is another option. And off-dry champagne styles work effortlessly with desserts and cheeses, although harder to find.
Looking beyond champagne as an aperitif but as a wine at the table provokes thoughtful dish selection. Classic Italian dishes, such as seasonal antipasti and cured meats, are perfect with crusty sourdough and non‐vintage brut champagne. For this, I turn to Philipponnat’s pinot noir dominated non-vintage blend, with its luxurious 37 percent reserve wine, which has the kind of character and depth required for such a pairing. Globe artichokes, mozzarella burrata, prosciutto San Daniele, beef carpaccio, crumbed sardines or cauliflower, can carry a classic brut or rosé champagne exceptionally well. Lanson’s Brut Rosé represents top value and fits painlessly with this kind of food. Its pinot noir / chardonnay blend of equal proportions includes 7 percent red wine. It’s brimming with crunchy red apple, zesty ruby grapefruit and raspberry zing.
Classic Italian dishes, such as seasonal antipasti and cured meats, are perfect with crusty sourdough and non‐vintage brut champagne.
Pasta with tomato sauce or a rich ragù can overpower the nuances of champagne. However, gamey risottos, such as quail, duck or exotic mushrooms, work deliciously well with aged or vintage champagne such as 2002 and 2008, or even the more forward 2006 vintage. Billecart‐Salmon’s Cuvée Nicolas François 2002 is particularly good. Its predominantly pinot noir blend is barrel fermented in old oak casks, and dosage is a meagre 4g/L. This quality cuvée is all about mineral laden terroir, complemented with roasted hazelnuts, pain d’épices, cocoa beans, wild berries and short crust pastry. Oak in champagne adds creaminess and weight, making them best for pairing with food. Bollinger and Jacquesson are brilliant renditions with their trademark oak influence that is seamless and textured, even at a non‐vintage level.
When it comes to the main event, veal is my preferred Italian meat. Lovingly prepared in a casserole with lemon, sage and bay leaf or roasted with shallots and rosemary, it can be fabulously succulent and delicate. Ask your butcher for the leg or rack for the best cut then serve with a rich and fresh champagne like Larmandier‐Bernier’s Extra Brut Rosé. This single vineyard beauty is 100% pinot noir from the premier cru village of Vertus; a powerful and energetic wine boasting red cherry, pomegranate, pink peppercorn and anise. It’s a dry style with the body, structure and tension that marries well with subtle meats. Fritto misto, an assortment of seafoods in a light batter with tangy aioli and capers, can also work well with this champagne, as does Tasmanian Atlantic salmon with Mediterranean herbs and roasted red peppers. Pinot noir serves to cut through the smoky and oily flavours of the dish.
And, finally, a thick slice of Taleggio with poached quince is heavenly with blanc de blancs. Try it with Pierre Gimonnet’s Blanc de Blancs NV or with their 2008 vintage to make the most of it. Gimonnet’s sumptuous all-chardonnay cuvée, taken exclusively from Cuis, features a low dosage, allowing its fine-grained chalk minerality to come to the fore. Meanwhile, fresh orchard fruits and lemon tinged acidity opens the palate to savour Taleggio’s dense flavours. Refer to Gimonnet’s 2008 vintage and allow its glazed brioche, lemon sherbet, white nectarine and nougat notes to unfold.
Yellow apple, mandarin oil, lemon soufflé, crème pâtissier and a hint of salted caramel, makes for a sophisticated and flattering demi‐sec experience.
Fritto misto, an assortment of seafoods in a light batter with tangy aioli and capers, can also work well with this champagne.
Selecting champagnes to enjoy with Italian cuisine needn’t be an overwhelming exercise. Nonetheless, it’s best to follow some simple ideas. Subtler dishes and flavours are most virtuous, so avoid olives, chilli, gorgonzola and sauce Bolognese. Glassware should also be a key consideration, something that will enhance champagne’s sensory profile. Riesling and aromatic white wine glasses work best and allow time for your freshly poured glass to come to room temperature. Santé!
Words by Kara Maisano
Photography by Masani Dining and Terrace
