In October we hosted a fantastic wine tasting led by our friend Nino Cardinale. Nino is an engineer whose passion for wine led him to pursue several wine certifications (including prestigious WSET) and to tour Italy extensively in search of the best vino. His wine tastings are designed to be enjoyed by both wine experts and novices – his approach is informative without being overwhelming, which always makes the tasting really fun.
The menu was created around the wines Nino had selected. We started with a white wine from Northern Italy, the Friulano Friuli Orientale DOC from Zorzetting winery, which was paired with crostini + goat’s milk ricotta, roasted pumpkin and prosciutto crudo.
We then continued with a red wine, Etna Rosso from Firriato winery in Sicily. The texture of this red paired beautifully with a grilled chicken salad, which included grilled carrots, eggplants and peppers. The salad was seasoned with a light lemon-and-extra-virgin-olive-oil dressing, which harmonized particularly well with the wine’s acidity.
Our last wine of the tasting was a Valpolicella Ripasso 2015 DOC Classico Superiore. It was served with a hearty pasta e fagioli prepared with pancetta, sage and rosemary.
To finish, we served a glass of Ronchi Pichi, a Florence-made liquorous wine. Our guests particularly enjoyed to try this vino liquoroso, as it is one of Florence best kept secrets.
From wine to food, the tasting was a true celebration of one of our favorite seasons, fall. The table was laid simply, with a raw cotton cloth and an abundance of persimmons. We chose vintage plates from Richard Ginori and handmade wooden boards from Romagnoli.
We want to say a huge thank you to all our friends, old and new, who came to taste the wines Nino selected.
Photos | Alexandra Means
Wine Selection & Tasting | Nino Cardinale
Styling | Alexandra Means & Gaia Cozzi
Menu & Food | Gaia Cozzi