What wines did you pair up with your Easter food feast?
Sunday in Providence, at Mama Campanini’s, is a day when the senses, after 40 days and 40 nights of Lent, are revived in great celebration. The food aromas are rich and dramatic. We drank a small taste of pink Banfi Rose` on arrival. It warmed up the conversation for a dozen people.
The first course featured baked stuffed mushrooms (bread and black olive stuffing) followed by a meatless antipasto (red and green pickled peppers, black and green olives, slivers of hard cheese, anchovies, in simple oil and vinegar). This was an intriguing course to select a wine, since the mushrooms and antipasto were totally different textures and tastes. Red, white? When in doubt, go with a nice semi-dry Riesling. I settled on a Dr. Konstantin Frank’s 2010 vintage from Finger Lakes, N.Y. To my delight, it was rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast; I got it for $17.99 in N.Y.
My mother, who is 93, insisted on a pasta dish. A hearty rigatoni with small meatballs and sliced sausage, and coated in pomodoro gravy seasoned with black pepper, sugar and Chianti, came next. Bravo, mama! We drank a Bolla Ruffino Chianti ($18).
Next came the baked ham with a pineapple glaze sauce, baked sweet potatoes, and green beans almondine in a mushroom cream sauce. Wow! Enough tastes for two trips to the wine cellar but I only had one chance to make this right. I selected a Cambria Pinot Noir (on sale for $19.99 in N.H.) from Julia’s Vineyard in Santa Barbara, Calif. It was packed with fruit flavors, strawberry and cherry, and extremely velvety. Normally, we wouldn’t have had the pasta dish which would have set up nice for the Pinot Noir. As it was, we went from a heavier wine in the Chianti to a medium-bodied Pinot, but no one seemed to care. All was delicious.
Mom’s ricotta pie, heavy on the cheese and rice, went down well with more Riesling. I sat back, however, and drank a nice strong cappuchino. I needed a clear head for the drie back to Lowell, with my belt buckle bursting. My twin brother, John, however, who lives close by, had a coffee and Sambucca Romana to close out the day.
So how was your day? Did you drink any good wines? Let me know how they paired with the food you ate.
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