Match of the week

Pumpkin ravioli and a Douro white

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on February 17 2014 at 08:50

You wouldn’t necessarily expect an Italian dish like pumpkin ravioli to pair with a Portuguese white but the match was just perfect.

The wine, Planalto Branco Reserva 2012 was one of those lovely lush whites from the Douro that I think I enjoy even more than the region’s highly respected reds - a blend of the local Viosinho, Malvasia Fina, Gouveio and Códega grapes.

It had the fullness and richness to carry the pumpkin ravioli - a ready-made pasta from the Co-op that had a really authentic sweetness. I served it simply with melted butter - it could have done with a little sage but I don’t think that would have affected the pairing.

The great advantage about rather more obscure wines like this is that they’re priced to encourage people to experiment. At £6.49 if you buy 2 bottles (at Majestic) it’s an absolute steal.

I reckon it would be good with salt cod fritters too - it makes a great aperitif. And if you didn’t have a Portuguese white to hand? I’d go for a chardonnay.

Image © vincenzoangeli - Fotolia.com

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