What wine to drink with risotto alla zucca?

Pumpkin belongs to the cucurbit family, like watermelon, and is a fruit that arrived from the Americas through the voyages of the 16th century. It is largely made up of water (about 80%), followed by fats (9%), carbohydrates (8%) and proteins (3%). We used it to prepare a version of risotto together with smoked provoletta affumicata.

We wanted to try the pairing between this risotto alla zucca and a Fiano d'Avellino gifted to me by my friend Francesco. Specifically, we are talking about the Fiano d'Avellino 2009 from Colli di Lapio, a winery run by Clelia Romano – a wine capable of transcending time and expressing 13.5% alcohol.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 400g of carnaroli rice
• 500g of pumpkin
• 1 golden onion
• 150g of provoletta affumicata
• 1 l. of vegetable broth
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Grated Cacio cavallo siciliano

Preparing the dish:

The pumpkin and onion were first blanched and then blended together. They were then added to the rice, cooking everything in the vegetable broth added gradually. Cooking lasted about a quarter of an hour, after which the provoletta affumicata was added, along with a drizzle of oil and finally the grated Cacio cavallo.

The risotto, in its main ingredients, presents the following taste and olfactory characteristics:
­ rice: light aromaticity and sweet tendency;
­ pumpkin: sweetness and aromaticity
­ provoletta affumicata: fattiness, aromaticity.
­ onion: sweet tendency and aromaticity
­ vegetable broth: savouriness, aromaticity and succulence.

The preparation is characterised mainly by its aromaticity and sweet tendency.

The wine was processed in stainless steel with a winter rest in tank and bottling in the June following the harvest. Then came the long bottle ageing.
A crystalline wine of a beautiful intense golden yellow colour, consistent in the glass. On the nose it expresses articulate aromas of exotic fruit such as pineapple, mango and banana together with spicy tones of cinnamon and coriander, enamel notes, a hint of linden and sage, and a touch of bitter almond on the finish.
The palate is broad, sumptuously soft and round, yet with a fresh and savoury component absolutely untouched by the years. The taste and olfactory persistence is very long.

But how did the food-wine pairing go?

The acidity, savouriness and good body of the wine correctly counterbalanced the sweet tendency of the food, as well as the succulence provided by the broth, the fattiness of the cheese and the oiliness of the extra virgin olive oil. At the same time, the softness, aromatic persistence and aromas of the Fiano d'Avellino balanced the aromaticity of the dish.

A substantially successful pairing.