I Love Italian Regional Cooking - Pairing Val d'Aosta Cuisine With Wine
Great Val d'Aosta food, fine wine...Val d’Aosta is by far the smallest region of Italy, tucked on the border with France and Switzerland. It’s actually French-speaking. I have only been able to find a single Valle d’Aosta wine, one that was quite overpriced. Most of the Italian regions in this series are described in two articles, one for the reds and one for the whites. But almost all the Val d’Aosta food specialties call for red wine. If you like white wines better than reds, you might go for the Dolcettos mentioned below.
You'll love a Val d'Aosta vacation.
Fettuccine di Castagne con Verza e Costine Valdostane (Chestnut Pasta with Savoy Cabbage and Spare Ribs) If you can’t find chestnut flour to make the pasta you can go ahead with whole wheat pasta. Maybe you should cook this dish twice and see if going home-made is worth the effort. Needless to say, we are not talking about a summertime meal. If you can’t find a Valle d’Aosta Petit Rouge try with a red Bardolino DOC from Veneto.
Another one-course meal is Polenta e Cavolo Nero (Polenta and Black Leaf Kale) which also contains soaked white beans, bacon (ideally Italian), and meat broth. Are you getting the idea that in this Alpine region they go for substantial meals? Match this meal with a red Valtellina Superiore DOCG (Sassella is the best one for this dish) or a Valcalepio Rosso DOC, both from Lombardy.
One of the prides of Valle d’Aosta cusine is Costoletta alla Valdostana ( Veal Chop with Fontina). Fontina is this region’s signature cheese and has a distinctive, sweet taste. Fontina DOP is one of about thirty certified Italian cheeses. DOP stands for “Denominazione di Origine Protetta”, which means Protected Designation of Origin. This appealing dish is lot easier and quicker to make than the two previous ones. Some gourmets add shaved white truffles to the butterflied veal chops. Suggested pairings include Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC or its fancier cousin Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore DOCG, a Ghemme DOCG, or a Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC. These wines are all from the neighboring region of Piedmont.
Fontina DOP, Val d'Aosta's signature cheese.
Our final suggestion is a Fondue, made of course from Fontina cheese which melts well. Play around with your favorite cheese fondue recipe, and don’t stint on the cheese. Serve this delicious meal with a Bardolino, one of the Dolcettos mentioned above, or if you want a white wine, an Italian Pinot Grigio. See, we managed to provide a white wine pairing, and for a fine, if informal, meal.
About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and spend time with his wife and family. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Check out his global wine website at www.theworldwidewine.com with his weekly column reviewing $10 wines and his new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines. Check out his Italian wine website at www.theitalianwineconnection.com.
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