Verdicchio is a great value Italian white that goes well with seafood like our pan-seared scallops and is a good alternative to Pinot Grigio. This one had a nice creamy mouthfeel and a long finish. Both Greg Moore and Gary Vaynerchuk loved this wine--Vaynerchuk said it "brought the thunder" for $12. This was a special offering at Moore Brothers for $11, still available but now $13.
2009 Mario and Giorgio Brunori Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico "Le Gemme"
We are not in Philly this week, so when we looked out our window and saw this:
we knew we had to run to the local fish shop so we could make this:
which is Frutti di Mare or pasta and seafood. This can be a tricky pairing because it has seafood, which would indicate white wine, but it's in tomato sauce, which may tempt you into red. You could go either way, but we recommend a high acid Italian white, such as the Fattoria Laila Verdicchio that we received as a gift from friends. We used it in the sauce and it went well with the food.
We went to a small local wine shop and told them what we were cooking. They recommended Antica Osteria, a red blend from Italy. It was ok, but nothing special, and not as popular at the table as Chateau Simian Cotes du Rhone, a Garagiste selection.
For more great seafood dishes and pairings see the posts this week from our friends at the blog Philly Food Lovers.
