Last week, I was back in my kitchen adventure with another wine and food pairing. This time, I wanted to be a bit more creative with my food, so I decided to make my own pasta.
That is not the first time I made pasta, though. But it does not mean it’s an easy task to get it right.
I have a huge admiration for Italian mamas – and I’m lucky to be a friend of some of them – who are making their pasta for generations. It’s a labour of love. Such a special meal would deserve quite a special wine.
So, I have decided to think outside the box and start my journey through different regions to get a perfect wine pairing. This time, I picked a Turkish chardonnay to be the perfect match for this meal.
The Wine of My Choice
I do confess that white wine is never my first pick on the shelf. I do not get too much excited about them, and I have to have a good reason to drink them. But here is a good reason to pick a Cotes D’Avanos Chardonnay 2018 – it’s a winery.
I had a Kavaklidere wine tasting during a Wine Festival in 2017. That was my first introduction to Turkish wines and I just loved it. It’s a fantastic wine. So, why not give it another try?
Kavaklidere is a well-established Turkish winery located in Ankara. They produce 68 different products including wines, beers, and spirits.
They are nowadays the largest wine producer in Turkey. Chardonnay is a versatile grape that is well-known for producing crisp white wine.
This sophisticated Narince-Chardonnay blended wine is aged in oak. It is creamy, with a citrus aroma. It’s a warm and balanced wine, with grapes that are developed at this winery – the forgotten grapes varieties of Anatolia that we can find all over Turkey.
The Food of My Choice
I won a pasta machine a couple of years ago for Christmas. The idea was now and then making some fresh pasta from scratch and who knows, master it someday.
But am not going to lie. As soon as I decided to make my pasta, I knew I would not pick a challenging one such as tortellini or cappelletti.
I did not want to get it so wrong, so I decided to go for cannelloni because it should not be difficult to make tube-shaped ones.
I was wrong. These stuffed-shaped kinds of pasta are a challenge to make and fill. I tried my best and I can say it did not work.
My Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni looked okay, but they were delicious. I was amazed by the way that Pasta Grannies prepares their food and I got some inspiration from them on Youtube.
When Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni meets Turkish Narince-Chardonnay
After researching many recipes, I came across the strong flavours of cannelloni and the slightly fruity taste of this fine chardonnay.
Would it be a good combination? I had no idea. Creamy dishes go well with crisp white wine. And I guess I was right!
I quite liked the light texture of ricotta and the freshness of basil in combination with this rich-after taste of the wine.
Besides, it was a light choice for a Sunday dinner. I would adventure myself on a new pasta dish just to match with this gorgeous white wine again!
