Nebbiolo is a Northern Italian grape, which I have been eager to try. I have heard it mentioned several times throughout the wine-related media I’ve consumed. The taste is leathery on its own and highly tannic. I had a 2021 vintage, so it is five years old. I perhaps could have allowed it to age longer.
For me, this wine showed me how the taste can change when accompanied by food. I have treated Italian wines as wines that are made for enjoying with food, and particularly Italian food. My stove has been broken for a week, so once I finally got it replaced, I was looking forward to cooking!
I made myself a dinner of chickpea rotini with marinara. I added ground beef, mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini to my sauce. I topped it with fresh-grated parmesan. The meal was earthy as the wine was. With the pasta, the Nebbiolo tasted fruitier and almost sweet. On its own I got notes of leather, but with my tomato sauce I found notes of cherry.
This meal made me feel like I was taking care of myself. It was peaceful and was a great way to break in the new stove. Adding a variety of veggies to my sauce rounded out the meal. I don’t look too far into micronutrients, but figure that the higher variety of foods I eat, the more nutrients I will get. I haven’t had zucchini or mushrooms in a long time, so I enjoyed the variety there. I also got a good amount of protein from the chickpea pasta and ground beef. It was a treat to be able to cook for myself again, and there are plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week!
Vita Vinum Libri 