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Of course you know about Tuscany. If you remember Seinfeld you know that there are precious few villas to rent in this beautiful part of the world. Tuscany includes the city of Florence, where the Italian Renaissance got started. Almost everywhere you go there is something to see, to buy, to drink, or to eat.
What are some Tuscany food specialties that go with white wine? Before we answer this question, a word or two of warning is in order. You can get the recipes from an Italian cookbook or the Internet, either from the Italian or the English-language name. But you may have to make some substitutions. We have chosen to recommend wines that are fairly available in many parts of North America. When you visit Tuscany, be sure to try the local specialties with relatively unknown wines.
If you are going to eat a big meal you may want to start with a simple appetizer such as Bruschetta (Garlic Bread). Make sure to get the best available Italian bread. You just can't make a decent Bruschetta with Wonder. Some use tomato and basil, others don't. Colli Albani DOC is a white wine often sold in oversize bottles, not the best sign if you ask me. Most people won't go with a separate wine for their appetizer, especially a simple one. But don't waste a top-of-the-line white wine on Brushcetta, with or without tomatoes.
Cieche Fritte (Fried Baby Eels) is a delicious typical appetizer that might put some people off. It is recommended with some Tuscan whites that are rarely available here and with Vermentino di Sardegna DOC from Sardinia, the furthest Italian region from Tuscany.
Now we are ready for the main course. Gamberi e Cannelli alla Toscana (Shrimps with Cannellini Beans) is very quick, except that you have to soak these Italian white kidney beans overnight. You can substitute Great Northern or navy beans. Suggested wine pairings include the Soave Superiore DOCG from Veneto, be careful about substituting a regular Soave DOC. The G stands for Garantita, but life holds few guarantees and DOCG isn't one of them. Other choices include the Verdicchio di Matelica DOC which is usually better than the readily available Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, both from The Marches region. Many say that the best choice is Tuscany's only white DOCG wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano (DOCG). If you can't get any of these drown your sorrows in an Orvieto Classico DOC from Umbria.
Another regional fish specialty is Triglie alla Livornese (Red or White Mullets Livornese Style) that are first fried and then finished in the oven. Recommended wines include Soave Superiore DOCG and Orvieto Classico DOC.
Let's not forget dessert. An excellent choice is Zuccotto ( Chocolate and Curaçao Chilled Cream) based on sponge cake and whipped cream. If you want my advice don't even think of using "whipped cream" in a can. You may have trouble finding the recommended wines such as the Moscato di Cagliari DOC from southern Sardina or the Ramandolo DOCG from the northeastern region of Fruili-Venezia Guilia. So try any good not too sweet dessert wine.
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink 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. Visit his site devoted to Italian food at http://www.fooditalyfood.com. You'll find a weekly review of wines and lots more wine information and reviews on his global wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com.
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