Traditionally Italian Christmas Eve dinner is based on fish with ingredients like clams, crustaceans, oysters, bream, sea bass, king prawns and even eel. It is all quite delicious, and few people would even dream about pairing these dishes with a red wine, typically saving reds for the next day when the meal is full of meat, pasta and other dishes suitable for red. But never say never. There are plenty of people who simply do not enjoy white wine. Some even say the acid hurts their stomach. What happens then?
You can’t possibly offer water as an alternative. Luckily there are rosé wines that you can pair with your fish dish, and even some reds saving your friend from a glass of soda or water. Raw starters for example pair well with a Pinot Noir, with an almost imperceptible amount of tannins and a velvety, smooth taste. Now if you are serving grilled prawns, you will want to opt for a rosé like a Dogajolo, the perfect companion to the sweetness of the prawns. There are reds - or even rosé wines - that can "save" the evening of your friend or friend from a sad spring water.
With raw starters, for example, you could propose a Pinot Noir, with almost imperceptible tannins and a velvety taste; if, instead, the prawns or crustaceans in general prefer to grill them, then here come to your rescue a rosé like the Dogajolo, wide and varied, perfect travel companion of the sweet tendency of the dish. Now what about the first course?
If you are serving spaghetti with clams, which is on many an Italian table on Christmas Eve, you will not want to serve this dish with a Pinot as it will ruin the delicate consistency of the mollusk. Go for the rosé. It works perfect with a dish like this.
What about the classic Christmas dish of eel? Just before you fry it, uncork a bottle of sparkling wine. The freshness of this wine and the effervescence of the bubbles will leave your palate clean and wanting a second bite. And now comes the question of what to pair with your fish soups, especially those that are tomato based with sumptuous fish such as mullet, scorpion fish, shards and monkfish.
This is where we can push the bar a little further and look for a wine that balance the acidity of the tomato like a Morellino di Scansano or a Chianti Classico. It will surprise even the more skeptical of wine lovers!
You can’t possibly offer water as an alternative. Luckily there are rosé wines that you can pair with your fish dish, and even some reds saving your friend from a glass of soda or water. Raw starters for example pair well with a Pinot Noir, with an almost imperceptible amount of tannins and a velvety, smooth taste. Now if you are serving grilled prawns, you will want to opt for a rosé like a Dogajolo, the perfect companion to the sweetness of the prawns. There are reds - or even rosé wines - that can "save" the evening of your friend or friend from a sad spring water.
With raw starters, for example, you could propose a Pinot Noir, with almost imperceptible tannins and a velvety taste; if, instead, the prawns or crustaceans in general prefer to grill them, then here come to your rescue a rosé like the Dogajolo, wide and varied, perfect travel companion of the sweet tendency of the dish. Now what about the first course?
If you are serving spaghetti with clams, which is on many an Italian table on Christmas Eve, you will not want to serve this dish with a Pinot as it will ruin the delicate consistency of the mollusk. Go for the rosé. It works perfect with a dish like this.
What about the classic Christmas dish of eel? Just before you fry it, uncork a bottle of sparkling wine. The freshness of this wine and the effervescence of the bubbles will leave your palate clean and wanting a second bite. And now comes the question of what to pair with your fish soups, especially those that are tomato based with sumptuous fish such as mullet, scorpion fish, shards and monkfish.
This is where we can push the bar a little further and look for a wine that balance the acidity of the tomato like a Morellino di Scansano or a Chianti Classico. It will surprise even the more skeptical of wine lovers!
