Sip and Savour: The Art of Pairing Wine & Charcuterie
Two icons. One culture. Endless pairings.
By Erin Henderson
I remember the first Roero Arneis I drank.
It was made by Bruno Giocosa. I was absolutely floored by the white wine’s silky texture counterbalanced by a lively character, which gave the wine energy on the palate. The delicate perfume of stone fruit and light spice sealed the deal. I immediately purchased a case for my home cellar and have ever since been besotted with this stylish wine from Italy.
Roero is a wild and forested region, just north of Barolo and northwest of Barbaresco in Piedmont. Like its famous neighbours, Roero grows the red grape Nebbiolo where its labelled as “Roero Rosso” and produces grippy wines that strike a fine balance between power and grace. Roero Rosso can be made in classic or reserve styles, with minimum aging of 32 months. White wines belong to the inconspicuous Arneis grape, typically producing stylish wines of pale gold with notes of stone fruit, light floral and a faint nuttiness. Usually, Arneis is vinified in stainless steel to preserve the zippy acidity and fresh fruit flavours, though some winemakers opt for oak aging, resulting in full bodied wines with rich character. Winemakers can make classic, reserve, or sparkling wines from Arneis, but must age the wines at least 16 months.
We don’t get to see a lot of Roero wines in Ontario – a complete shame, if you ask me – so I was thrilled to see a targeted campaign come to Toronto to educate wine lovers on these remarkably elegant wines from northern Italy.
The Sip and Savour program is a project from the European Union which aims to promote and celebrate the wines of DOCG Roero and Italian salumi. Indeed, each wine and meat has a stamp of authenticity, which guarantees the origin of the product, and strict quality control at every step of production both from farm to table and grape to glass.
Hosted by the Consorzio Tutela Roero, which promotes the tradition and passion of the viticultural area, and the Istituto Valorizzazione Salumi Italiani which stewards traditional Italian charcuterie and its authenticity, the tasting featured classic bresaola, delicate and nearly sweet, it’s often used for carpaccio in Italy; Lardo de Colonnata, cured pork fat that’s cured with fresh herbs and melts in your mouth (my favourite quote of the day was when our host described the Lardo as, “It’s not fat; it’s like butter.”) We also tried Prosciutto di San Danielle, which is only salt cured and aged a minimum of 14 months; a fennel salami and, my all-time favourite, Mortadella, the pork charcuterie of Emilia-Romagna and is made in an unbelievable eight different styles and weighing from five kilograms to 100.
In total, Italy produces 155 different charcuterie – a serious craft that balances centuries-old tradition with forward-thinking innovation. Paired with the wines of Roero, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 250 member wineries, this event superbly revealed the unique cultural fingerprint of Italy, a celebration of the art of food and wine pairing.
Sip and Savour is all about creating new experiences from endless pairings. An invitation to slow down and enjoy the moments that matter. It’s cultural phenomenon unique to Europe, but through stories of traditional charcuterie, and carefully crafted wine, it’s an invitation to good taste, meaningful experiences, and a journey to new flavours.
For more information, visit sipsavor.eu or follow on Instagram @sipandsavor.us
This article has been written with the generous support of Sip and Savour co-funded by the European Union.
