It's lunch time! What's to drink?

Ok, so this week I thought we'd focus on Food and not so much on jewels! Don't worry they will return. And because this 'Did you know ?' post shows up around lunch time, the focus will be on pasta and wine. Yes! Food! I promise you it tasted better than it looks. It was my first try!



With my meals, I'm more of a loose tea drinker and I may cook with wine from time to time. The closest I get to drinking wine is... grape juice. But I'm such a fact freak! And I like to learn things that are useful and even those that aren't.

So, if you were planning on cooking or just eating pasta, What wine should you choose?

There's no real rule for eating and drinking except for DON'T DRIVE!!! LOL. Oh! And WAIT till you're 21 or over if you're in the US! I just couldn't resist.

If you know which region your pasta dish comes from, choose your wine from that region. If a red or white wine is used in cooking the sauce, serve the rest of it during the meal. If you'd like a list to follow then look to the ingredients of the sauce. Who new?

Got fish or shellfish?
Choose Vernaccia, Veridcchio, Soave, Pinot Grigio, Orvieto Secco, Est, and Ciro (white).

How about meat, poultry or game? Oh my!
Red meat
Valtellina, Valpolicella, Soave, Pinot Grigio, Ciro (red), Chianti, and Barolo.
Poultry
Valtellina, Soave, Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Castel del Monte, Bardolino, and Barbaresco.
Rich meat
Vatellina, Soave, Pinot Grigio, and Lambrusco.
Game
Valtellina, Soave, Pinot Grigio, Ciro, Chianti, and Barolo.
Pork
Soave, Pinot Grigio, and Lambrusco.
Meat lasagna
Soave, Pinot Grigio, and Barbera.

Is it spicy?!
Pick Soave, Pinot Grigo, and Frascati.

As you can see, Soave (light) and Pinot Grigio (fresh) are both good with any sauce or dish. Both are white and dry. The first is from Veneto and the second from FriuliVenezia. Vernaccia is rich, nutty and red and from the island of Sardinia. It sounds so romantic... Sardinia :). Verdicchio is crisp, dry, and white from Marche (Central Italy). Valellina is red from Lombardy. Valpolicella is red with a bitter aftertaste...from Veneto. Orvieto Secco is white and dry from its name sake in Umbria. Named after a place can't beat that! Lambrusco is red and from Emilia-Romagna. Frascati is crisp, fruity, dry and white from its name sake. Ooh! Another one! Est is clean, dry and white from the Lazio region. Ciro is fresh, zingy white or full-bodied red from Calabria. Chianti is famous and red from Tuscany. Mmm...Tuscany. Castel del Monte is red or rose from Puglia. Barolo is red from Piedmont. Bardolina is fresh, light, red from Veneto. Barbera is red from Piedmont. Barbaresco is red and complex from Piedmont.Wasn't there an elephant named BarBar? Or was it Barber? Anyways, wow! There are many from Piedmont in this "list"!

So yeah. That's pretty much it for now. Whether your dish is creamy like Alfredo or meaty like Lasagne, choose the drink or sauce additive with what you now know. Ok I'm hungry...

Who wants pasta!
Jeeks