An Italian Christmas & Wine

Talk to an Italian family in Italy, or a Canadian family of Italian descent and they will all probably have a different story as to how they celebrate Christmas. However, one thing that is probably common in all cases is what’s for supper.

Christmas eve – no matter if you are from the sun baked beaches of Sicily or the wintry Italian Alps of Trentino Alto Adige, supper will include some kind of seafood. And for a lot of families like ours it will be exclusively seafood. Fresh seafood salad to start made from octopus and squid. Second, linguine with a delicate tomato sauce served fresh with clams and mussels. Cod for a main course in sauce or fried, scallops pan fried and golden brown, and finally shrimp the size of lobster tails served with a good dousing of fresh lemon. What wine is served with such a meal? With such a large variety it’s tough to please all. However, if I had to pick a wine to match so many textures and flavours, a 2002 DOC Frascati from Colle Gaio . Floral and honeyed on the nose with complex layers

of pear and stone fruit with good acidity on the palate. If you’re looking for a richer and riper version try the 2001 vintage. These wines made with the malvasia grape are age worthy and are drinking perfect now.

Christmas night’s meal is different from region to region. Traditionally we would have an herb encrusted roasted leg of lamb or veal fettine (veal that is thinly sliced). Today we usually enjoy a Prime Rib roast served with rapini. (A bitter broccoli-like green vegetable). I always have Tony, my butcher, bone and roll the prime rib. This makes it much easier to serve. What is common among families is the roasting of chestnuts after the meal. X large Marone from Italy are the best. For all of the above dishes I would serve a 2003 Aglianico Del Vulture DOC by Cantine di Palma. Tree fruit and ripe red fruit on the nose, with just a hint of tobacco, followed by luscious ripe black berry spice and silky smooth tannins on the palate.

I invite you to come by the Piazza for some of the above recipes and the freshest of ingredients. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.