Match of the week

Cacio e pepe and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on February 3 2025 at 13:18

That Italian white wine goes with pasta is not news I know but it was such a good pairing I’m going to make it my match of the week anyway.

Normally I prefer a light red wine with cacio e Pepe - I’ve previously enjoyed it with Frappato but there wasn’t anything particularly tempting on the list (at Prego, one of my local Italian restaurants in Bristol.)

It wasn’t a classic cacio e Pepe either - thoroughly enjoyable but a bit too cheesy (made with parmesan rather than the traditional pecorino) and not quite peppery enough. However it was topped with winter truffle, so I’m definitely not complaining.

The verdicchio, a 2022 Pallio di San Floriano from Monte Schiavo looked more tempting - and so it proved. Much more complex and flavourful than the average sub £10 Italian white. (It was organic.)

Verdicchio is a wine that goes with so many things, including artichokes - which means that you can happily drink it throughout a typical Italian meal especially if it’s based on vegetables or seafood. You can buy the 22 vintage online from N.D.John for £13.49.

For other pasta pairings see Wines to Match different Pasta Sauces

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