LE STRADE DEL VINO
by Antonio Mauriello

"I have decided to prepare an Italian dish: ‘Brasato al Barolo’, but I have a big dilemma. The recipe requires one bottle of Barolo red wine to cook. Can you believe it? My gosh… I hate to put a $40+ Barolo in the pot! I’d rather drink it with the meal, instead! Do you know of a good and reasonable priced wine that can be easily found in stores?

Marie-france, Ottawa

Marie-france: not an uncommon dilemma among us, savvy drinkers and passionate ‘chefs’! We like to cook with the good wine, but we also want to drink it!

Recipes for Brasato al Barolo usually call for a Nebbiolo based cooking wine because its acidity+tannin factor perfectly balances the dish. A wine too ‘fruity’ and rich in glycerin would make the combination too complex and heavy.

Since this has always been one of my favourite recipes, I tried to cook it with different wines to study the differences. The following wines worked very well:

1. Barbaresco, a red wine made with the same grape as Barolo (100% Nebbiolo) and in the same region (Piemonte - Italy northwest). Currently in stores for about $20: BATASIOLO BARBARESCO 2004 LCBO#37051

2. For less money, stick with Piemonte and change grape:
BERSANO BARBERA D'ASTI LCBO#348680 a great deal at $12

You would rather drink the Barolo with this meal? Yes, you should! This is the one to choose, now available:
CAVALLOTTO BAROLO RISERVA BRICCO BOSCHIS SAN GIUSEPPE 2000
LCBO#50716 $69

Ah…. and don’t forget to give me a call when you finish cooking!

Salute!

Antonio