Sweet calls sweet: with panettone you can only drink by concordance
During this period of holidays the protagonist of our tables is certainly the panettone. Served only as a last course, the panettone is underestimated which is the most suitable type of wine for its pairing. In fact, some stereotypes have been fueled on what to drink with panettone, for example taking out a bottle of Champagne. We have prepared a mini guide that will help you choose the right wine to pair with the sweet leavened at these parties.
Very often, in fact, panettone is proposed in combination with unsuitable wines, risking to ruin the taste of both. A very common mistake is pairing with dry sparkling wines. A Champagne with Brut dosage would certainly highlight the hardness of the wine without highlighting the qualities of our panettone.
So the first rule is to accompany the panettone with bubbles: strictly sweet. First of all we must consider that panettone is a dessert, and therefore we must choose a dessert or meditation wine that can match in accordance with our panettone. While for other dishes you can play with the matches both by concordance and by contrast, in the case of desserts we must always choose in harmony.
The second element to consider is the aromaticity of the panettone, given by the ingredients that enrich its taste, such as candied fruit and dried fruit; but also butter and yeast (especially if it is a mother yeast that is particularly aromatic). Here too you have to go in accordance with the wine: a panettone rich in ingredients such as dried fruit, chocolate requires an equally intense, complex and persistent wine.
The ingredients that characterize the panettone are a fundamental point to consider. A sweet with hazelnuts must be combined with a wine that has an aromatic persistence proportional to that of these dried fruits. While a very spiced panettone could be combined with a spicy and strong wine in the aromatic component, which recalls the aromas present in the panettone such as a Passito Gewurtztraminer, or a very aromatic panettone with candied fruit it could be combined with a Champagne Blanc de Blancs Demi Sec very fragrant that recalls an explosion of scents typical of panettone and candied fruit (notes found in many Chardonnays).
Another element to consider is certainly the occasion: if it is a demanding dinner, such as the Christmas dinner, you can opt for a more important wine like a Champagne with a sugar dosage as high as a demi-sec, a Sauternes, or a good Passito di Pantelleria.
To enter the practical and inspire you, we offer 10 very tasty but also very good combinations:
Passito di Pantelleria DOCG – Salvatore Murana + Panettone with dried apricots
Champagne Demi Sec – Veuve Clicquot + Panettone with custard
Primitivo Dolce Naturale DOCG 11 Rows – Cantine San Marzano + Panettone with chocolate
Moscato d’Asti DOCG Nivole – Michele Chiarlo + Panettone with raisins
Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé – Chateau Rieussec + Panettone very refined, intense and fragrant, with ingredients such as dried fruit and candied fruit
Recioto di Soave Classico DOCG “Le Colombare” – Pieropan + Panettone with hazelnuts or pistachio
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC – Lamole di Lamole + Panettone with dried fruit and candied fruit
Franciacorta Rosè Demi Sec DOCG – La Montina + Panettone with berries
Lazio IGT Grechetto Passito Muffo – Sergio Mottura + Panettone with citrus and spices
Gewurtztraminer Passito Vendemmia Tardiva DOC Terminum – Cantina Tramin + Panettone with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla
