Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: Nicodemi Notàri 2016 – Pairing Rating: 9.3 out of 10.0
Trebbiano Abruzzese: Contesa Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2015 – Pairing Rating: 8.8
The Abruzzo region, due east of Rome, offers diverse topography and foods. The Apennine mountains of central Italy define Abruzzo’s western border and are home to hearty Mortadella, lamb, pork liver sausage and saffron. The eastern Adriatic shore is known for its seafood and fish stew (Brodetto). So it’s no surprise that the two principal grapes of the region – Trebbiano Abruzzese (white) and Montepulciano (red) – pair beautifully with these regional specialties.
To explore the pairing capabilities of the Abruzzo wines made from these grapes, we chose to stir up a pot of Cioppino. Cioppino? An Italian fish stew? Almost correct. Cioppino is indeed a tomato-based fish stew but is said to have been created in the North Beach area of San Francisco by Italian immigrants from Genoa. According to Wiki, the name comes from Ciuppin, a classic soup from Italy’s Liguria region, similar in flavor to Cioppino but with less tomato. According to us, the name means Delizioso!
The Internet is replete with recipes for Cioppino. We chose one (see the end of this post) by DeeDee Henderson found in allrecipes.com. Do not be put off by the lengthy list of ingredients; the recipe was easy to pull together. It does take a good bit of simmering time to tease out all the flavors, so plan accordingly. Importantly, this recipe is a little tomato-dominant, which turned out to be the critical factor in the wine pairing.
Most somms will advise you to pair this seafood-laden dish with a crisp, dry white wine. Abruzzo’s Trebbiano seemed like a reasonable place to start. We pulled the cork on a 2015 bottle of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo produced by the Contesa ($24), a family-managed winery in the hills outside the town of Pescaro. On clay soils with a bit of limestone, the Trebbiano flourishes amid the abundant sunshine of central Italy and cool Adriatic breezes.
The Contesa seemed to extract the best that the Trebbiano Abruzzese grape has to offer. The nose was subtle but elegant with scents of apple, stone fruit and white flowers. On the palate, the attack was light and crisp with notes of pear and apple; but what lingered with some persistence was citrus, minerality, medium-plus acidity, and creamy notes of almond on the finish.
Sipping as we prepared the Cioppino, we thought the wine was delicious. But with the dish, not so much. The Contesa’s citrus and the dish’s tomato base seemed to clash. The tomato base won, negating the beauty of the wine. Save this refreshing Trebbiano for Shrimp Scampi, Lobster Roll or a cream-based Seafood dish. With the Cioppino, however, we felt compelled to move to red wine.
For its ability to pair with tomato-based pasta dishes, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo seemed like a logical choice. We selected the Nicodemi Notàri 2016 ($23). Fattoria Nicodemi is in the town of Notaresco, in the heart of the Colline Teramane zone, thereby giving this estate a DOCG status – the highest zone designation in Italy.
Nicodemi should have named their wine Guise. The wine was as polished and deeply-colored as a heavy Napa Merlot, yet midweight in body. And the beguiling nose of plums, baked cherries and spices reminded us of a Brunello with 10 years of bottle age! Yet the vintage was 2016. Amazing.
On the palate, the Notàri was rich with blackberries, ripe tannins and notes of balsamic. The relatively low acidity was sufficient to stand up to the tomato sauce of the Cioppino without overpowering the delicate seafood flavors. We thought the Notàri was superior to the Trebbiano in this pairing, and at $23, an excellent value. There are more complex and more expensive Montepulciano’s on the market: Praesidium for $40, Masciarelli’s Villa Gemma for $80, and Emidio Pepe’s for $100. But Trish and I don’t think these enhance the pairing in proportion to their price.
If your version of Cioppino is lighter on the tomato base, then go with the Contesa Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. However, if you choose to follow the recipe at the bottom of this post, then the Notàri Montepulciano is the better choice. Mangiamo!
Cioppino – Red or White Wine?
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 fresh red chili pepper (Fresno), seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 1 (10 oz.) can of minced clams, drained with juice reserved
- 24 mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 24 fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 12 scallops
- 3/4 lb. cod fillets, cubed
Instructions
- Use a food processor to chop the onion and peppers. This dish is not about the precision-cutting of these veggies.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and chili pepper and saute until tender.
- Add the parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, paprika, cayenne pepper and juice from the clams. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Simmer for 1 to 2 hours, adding the white wine a little at a time.
- Roughly 10 minutes before serving, add all the shellfish and seafood. Turn up the heat slightly and stir.
- When the seafood is cooked (that is, when the mussels have opened, the shrimp are pink and the cod flakey) you are ready to serve. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Serve with warm, crusty Italian bread or with rice.
Vino Travels (@VinoTravels21) says
I didn’t realize the origins of ciopino here in the states. I would think the red would go best but because of the tomato base. I’m sure I’m Italy it’s different.
Steven says
Thanks for commenting, Jen. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Red is better but wanted to persuade those who think only white with shellfish.
cookingchat (@cookingchat) says
I like the way you walk us through your pairings! I had a chance to visit Nicodemi — in fact was our first stop when I went visiting wineries. A Cerasualo d’Abruzzo might also be a good pairing for the dish.
Steven says
Thanks for commenting, David. I had a very cordial email exchange with Elena Nicodemi prior to posting. Perhaps you met her when you were there. Your suggestion of the Cerasualo is a very good one; I haven’t tried it, but it’s now on my list. Thanks!
Deanna says
What a fascinating question you pose and one I have wondered about as well. My pick would be a red wine due to the cooked tomato but I wouldn’t have thought of a Montepulciano. Sounds wonderful!!
Steven says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Deanna. Hope you enjoy the Cioppino recipe!
Katarina Andersson says
The wines sound good, a pity the pairing was so and so…but I am sure it was a great experience anyway. 🙂
Steven says
Thanks for commenting, Katarina. Notably, our pairing rating for the Nicodemi Montepulciano was 9.3 out of a possible 10.0 – an indication we thought the pairing was very good, if limited to an Abruzzo red. We encourage you to give it a go. And if you have a suggestion for a red pairing outside of Abruzzo, please let us know.
Nicole Ruiz Hudson says
I love cioppino and so it’s lovely to have this comparison as go to the next time I have it.
Steven says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Nicole. I think you will enjoy the pairing.
Linda says
Tomatoes and red wine – definitely! Your excellent post also shows how fish can be paired with reds. Well done!
Steven says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Linda. The Group’s choice to focus on the wines of Abruzzo presented an ideal opportunity to compare the region’s white and red wines with this classic dish.
Wendy Klik says
I love Cioppino and I did know about it’s roots in SF. I always go for the red. YUM. Great pairing.
Steven says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Wendy. I always enjoy your posts and I’m looking forward to you hosting ItalianFWT in November.
gwendolyn says
Thanks for sharing the history! We keep talking about doing this dish but have not had a pairing that we were thrilled with. I was hoping maybe a Lugana but I guess not! Will try a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Thanks for the tip! (PS You forgot to update the html…)
Steven says
Thanks for your comment, Gwendolyn. Sorry for the delay in responding, but I just saw this. I am sometimes challenged by the language of posting. Could you please elaborate on your comment that “(I) forgot to update the html”? I am unsure of what you are referring to. Thanks.
carl zwisler says
Why award an 8.8 for the Trebbiano pairing? Your words tell me to avoid the pairing altogether.
Steven says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Carl, and apologies for the delay in replying. WordPress did not alert me that you left a comment. With a seafood dish like this Cioppino recipe, I felt compelled to try a white wine and the Trebbiano seemed a logical choice. The 8.8 score does telegraph that there are better pairings. I do not believe, however, it deserves a lower score in that the Contesa is well-made, delicious and appropriate for other seafood pairings, as mentioned in my text. Try the wine, but not with this dish!