Let’s enjoy the last days of summer with a glass of Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva, a wonderful white wine from Italy’s Marche region, and a simple seafood dish from the same region.

I’m not quite ready to let go of summer. I never am. I’m a summer baby, crave sunshine, and want to hold onto every last bit of the season’s carefree vibes. So let’s hold onto it a bit longer, and let’s take a trip to Italy’s Adriatic coast. We’ll pick up a bottle of wine in the hilly terrain of Marche in central Italy, then we’ll jump in the car and drive about an hour to the port town of Recanati, and have a bowl of the local seafood dish with whatever’d been freshly caught that day. So maybe this is just a virtual trip for now, but sounds good right?

Verdicchio

We’ll be picking up our wine in the town of Matelica, which lies in a valley flanked on the east and west sides by sub-ranges of the Apennine Mountains. Here we’ll find our wine. The white of choice is Verdicchio, a very refreshing wine with lots of bright citrus and apple notes, hints of almonds, flowers, hints of herbs, and lots of minerality. It can also have a hint of bitterness, but usually in a pleasant way. It’s very food-friendly, and it comes in various styles – sparkling, dry, and dessert. It can also be made a simple everyday sipper, or as a more complex wine. 

Image borrowed from Wikipedia.

 In Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Ian D’Agata opines that it is “arguably Italy’s greatest native white grape variety,” due in part to the grape’s ability to adapt to and transmit different terroirs. 

He notes: 

Verdicchio’s trump cards are its tendency to ripen slowly and evenly (allowing for complex wines) and to always maintain high levels of tartaric acidity, meaning the wines can be both crisp and refreshing as well as very ageworthy.

We’ve tasted the “little green one” on this blog before. The last time we took an in-depth look at a bottle of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, which is also in the Marche, and you can read a bit more about the grape’s history in that post. We also sipped some Castelli di Jesi in A Sustainable Sampler Pack with Umani Ronchi.

Verdicchio di Matellica vs. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi

So what’s the difference between these two areas? Well, for one thing, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is a much larger region. The Matelica zone is about a tenth of the size with about 120 hectares (296 acres) under vine. It’s tiny. Vineyards are also at a higher elevation, and farther from the coast. The soils in Matelica are richer in clay and limestone, while Castelli di Jesi’s are sandier.

Map borrowed from Cellartours.com

In terms of what you can expect to taste in the glass, Matelica’s wines are generally thought of as being fuller and more structured with more acidity and minerality. (This isn’t always a given anymore as Castelli di Jesi reduced its yields and quality has improved overall, but those are the generalizations.) The wines of Matelica are also thought to be more age-worthy and long-lived, while the wines of Castelli di Jesi are considered better for early drinking. 

In both cases, the wine must be made up of at least 85% Verdicchio, with up to 15% Trebbiano Toscana or Malvasia permitted. Both areas also have Riserva DOCG zones for aged wines – 2 years are required for Matelica, and 18 months for Castelli di Jesi.

The Wine: Cantine Ballisario Cambrugiano Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva 2016

Image borrowed from Belisario's website.

Our wine today comes from Cantine Belisario, a high-quality co-op founded in 1971. It’s the largest producer of Verdicchio di Matelica, but remember that this is a very small zone. They’re the biggest fish in a very small pond – and the pond only has about a dozen fish altogether. All of their vineyards are located within a ten-minute drive of the winery. 

Image borrowed from Belisario's website.

They make several Verdicchios, including one riserva named Cambrugiano. According to their website, it was the first Verdicchio in the “Riserva” category, which they have been making since 1988. 

On the day we opened the Cambrugiano Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva 2016, I picked up notes of ripe lemons, brine, stone, white flowers, and fresh herbs. Notes of grapefruit and tangerine skin joined in on the palate, as well as rounder fruit notes like peach and star fruit, and almond skin. It had a leesy texture on the midpalate, bright acidity, and lots of stony minerality on the finish. 

In one of his Wine School columns on the subject of Verdicchio di Matelica, Eric Asimov meditates on the uncanny ability of these wines to offer “uncomplicated refreshment,” and yet “express more complex aromas.” They’re somehow paradoxically uncomplicated and complex at the same time. I could totally see that in this wine. While it was good now and undeniably refreshing, I was definitely also curious as to where this wine would go in a few years. I certainly think it could age for a few more since it was tightly wound at its core, despite showing lovely fresh fruit notes now. 

The Pairing: Brodetto alla Recanatese

I went in search of a dish from the Marche to try with this wine, and I found one that had a similar spirit of uncomplicated complexity – Brodetto alla Recanatese (or brodetto di pesce di Porto Recanati), or fish broth in the style of the port of Recanati, which is located about an hour and twenty away from Matelica driving east to the coast. Brodetto (spelled in various different ways depending on the dialect) are brothy fish stews that originated with fishermen who’d make it with whatever they’d caught that day. Many towns, especially along the Adriatic coast have their own particular versions. It’s not unlike bouillabaisse in Provence and other fish stews you find in coastal towns, but these are lighter in texture. 

Image borrowed from Wikipedia.

Most brodetto recipes use tomatoes in the broth, but Recanati’s is unique in that it has none, but it uses saffron to flavor the broth. Other than that, the broth is extremely simple – onions are sautéed in olive oil, water or broth are added, along with a dry white wine, and it’s seasoned with salt, pepper, and saffron. You can use whatever mix of seafood is local and fresh, and it’s eaten with toasted bread arranged in the serving bowls to soak up the broth, although I opted to keep the bread on the side so I could dunk it in. I opted for a mix of shellfish on this occasion with mussels, scallops, and shrimp. I’ve included a recipe at the end, but you might not really need one beyond what I just described.

All good things here! There’s such a lovely simplicity to the broth, but the onions and the saffron brought depth of flavor, and I have to admit that I couldn’t resist adding some garlic as well. It made for a lovely and satisfying light meal. It was a very easy match with the wine that had similar depth belied by its medium body and refreshing flavors, and each reflected the minerality of the other. 

OTHER POSSIBILITIES 

The producer recommends having this wine with elaborate seafood dishes, white meats, and

semi-aged cheeses.

By coincidence, I happened to have a bottle on hand of the Azienda Santa Barbara Verdicchio dei Casteli di Jesi 2019, the current vintage of the same wine that I explored the last time I looked at Verdicchio. I decided to use a little of that bottle for cooking, and then had the rest with the leftovers a couple of days later. It certainly worked as well, but I could definitely see the difference in price point and style. With the Matelica there was more of a conversation going on between the food and the wine, where the Casteli di Jesi was a simple accompaniment that went down easy. 

While this wine and dish come from the same region, white wines from many other areas of Italy would certainly work well – Soave Classico and Vermentino both come to mind. I think Chablis and Muscadet would also be excellent with the shellfish.

I also think Verdicchio is a good alternative for those who like Sauvignon Blanc, but are in the mood for something a little different. 

THE GEEKY DETAILS

Taken for the producer’s website:

Produced since 1988, and obtained only from Verdicchio grapes vinified by low-temperature maceration.

It is left to mature in steel and in toasted oak barrels for at least a year, and it ages for one more year in bottle.

MONEY TALK 

I picked this bottle up at K&L in San Fransisco for $21.99, which I found to be a Solid Value. As I said, I’d like to see how this wine ages, as I’d best it’ll get some added dimensions over time. 

Seafood, Mussels, Shellfish

Stew, Soups

Italian

Servings: 4 to 6

By: Nicole Ruiz Hudson

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Brodetto alla Recanatese with Shellfish

Prep Time: 20 MinCooking Time: 30 MinTotal Time: 50 Min

This recipe is very loosely based on this recipe from Cucina Italiana. Feel free to swap in whatever fish or shellfish you have on hand. No need to get too stuck on the quantities either. If you’re using fish, flour and lightly brown the fish before poaching in the broth.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Generous pinch of saffron
• ½ cup dry white wine
• Approximately 1 quart of broth or water, or as needed (I used a combination of lobster stock, fish stock, and water. Note: using only water will result in a more lightly flavored dish.)
• 5 to 2 lbs of mussels, cleaned and debearded (discard any that are broken or that don’t clamp shut when tapped)
• 1 cup large scallops
• 1 cup shrimp
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)
• Toasted or grilled slices of bread for serving

Instructions

1. Sauté onions in olive oil ( about 2 tablespoons or as needed) with a little salt and pepper in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat until the onions are soft and translucent. If needed, add a splash of water to the pan if the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic and saffron to the pan and continue to cook for another minute or so.
2. Add the white wine to the pan and stir to deglaze if necessary. Add the broth or water to the pan, bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir. Allow the mixture to cook for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and for the liquid to reduce a bit. Liquid should come up about an inch to an inch and a half in depth, add more liquid as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the mussels to the pan, and layer the scallops and shrimp on top. Cover and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, or just until the mussels open, the shrimp turns pink, and the scallops are no longer translucent. Remove the mussels as they open, uncovering the pot as needed, and discard any that do not open.
4. Serve shellfish in a bowl with broth poured on top. Garnish with parsley and serve toast on the side.

https://www.sommstable.com/2021/09/cantine-belisario-cambrugiano-verdicchio-di-matelica-riserva-with-brodetto.html

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For more posts related to Verdicchio check out:

• Cooking to the Wine: Azienda Santa Barbara Verdicchio and Tuna Melts  
• A Sustainable Sampler Pack with Umani Ronchi
•   Cooking to the Wine: Podere Selva Capuzza Lugana Riserva Menasasso with Veal Saltimboca and Sardine Toast Points
  

  
  
  

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A bottle of Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc from Alsace paired with a Leek and Bacon Tart straddles the line between decadence and simplicity. This is a delicious and classic pairing that will transport you to a French bistro.

The wine in this post was sent as a media samples. Note that no other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Time for a little summer decadence! Straddling the lines of wanting something a little bit indulgent, but that’s not too crazy heavy on a warm day can be a little tricky, but a cheesy Leek and Bacon Tart with a simple green salad strike all the right notes, and a Pinot Blanc from Alsace made the perfect accompaniment.

ALSACE

Alsace is my favorite French region for white wines, and we’ve covered it a few times before. I love the texture, minerality, and aromatics of their wines, as well as their food pairing versatility. The region is tucked up in  France’s northeastern corner, right up on the border with Germany. This is one of France’s sunniest and driest regions thanks to the Vosges Mountains that block rain and harsh weather from reaching the area. As a result, Alsace enjoys a rather mild climate.

Image provided by Teuwen Communications.

This wonderful climate gives the region a leg up when it comes to sustainability. Warm, sunny days and cool nights without a lot of rain create an environment that’s essentially paradise for grapes. They can ripen slowly and steadily to develop flavor while maintaining acidity. Without a ton of rain, there is not a lot of disease pressure on the vines either, so Alsace’s location gives it an excellent starting point for sustainable farming practices. One-third of Alsace’s vineyards are organic or in the process of conversion, numbers that are continuing to climb as that represents a 33% increase from 2019. Alsace also is the number two wine region in France for biodynamic certifications, with 4.5% of producers having been certified and climbing.  

For a deeper dive into the region, please see this post. 

PINOT BLANC . . . AND AUXERROIS TOO

Alsace has four “noble grapes”:  Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris. But today, I thought I’d take a look at one of its underdogs – Pinot Blanc. Poor Pinot Blanc is pretty much the underdog in every situation, always a hard worker, but never the star. While each of its more glamorous Pinot siblings gets its time to shine in turn, Pinot Blanc is the dutiful child that diligently does the chores at home with a pleasant attitude, but gets overlooked in the process. Alsace is its spiritual home (having been first noted in Burgundy), but as mentioned, here too it’s shown up by the region’s more aromatic residents.

We’ve previously explored Pinot Blanc from Trentino-Alto Adige in this post.

Pinot Blanc’s identity is also often mixed up. Throughout its history, Pinot Blanc has often been confused with other grapes like Chardonnay and Auxerrois, a grape that was born of Pinot and Gouais Blanc. In Alsace its identity is still wrapped up with Auxerrois’, so much so that in a bit of a peculiarity for European labeling laws, wines from Alsace that are labeled Pinot Blanc can be a 100% Pinot Blanc or a blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois. (Today’s wine is an example of this.)

🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Pinot Blanc is a very friendly grape though and can be a great everyday wine since it’s often reasonably priced. It tends to have moderate acidity, although on average it has more than Pinot Gris. While it tends to be lighter in body, it also often has a rounded mouthfeel that can feel lightly creamy, giving it a bit of opulence, a factor that I often contend makes it a good alternative to Chardonnay for those who maintain the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) credo. In general, you’ll find apple, stone fruit, and citrus notes, which can be accompanied by light minerality. In examples from Alsace, you might also find light notes of fresh white flowers accompanying those peach and apple notes. It opens up readily and has that balanced structure that makes it an easy match for many foods. It’s just a generally easygoing wine.

Pinot Blanc is pretty obliging in the vineyard and cellar as well. It’s more productive and easier to grow than its fussy, diva sibling Pinot Noir. Much like Chardonnay, it’s a bit of a “winemaker’s grape” that will take easily to many treatments and techniques, so you’ll find many different versions and styles, oaked and unoaked. In Alsace, it’s also often used in the region’s Cremants.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

It is blended in today’s bottle with Auxerrois. Besides having been often confused with each other, the two grapes do also complement each other well. Pinot Blanc is crisper, while Auxerrois tend to be a little fuller, adding body, and shows more complex aromatics. It shows a lot of citrus flavors, along with rich aromas that can become honeyed and nutty over time in good, aged versions. To add more confusion to Auxerrois’ identity, it should be noted that the name gets used in various forms for other grapes, most notably in Cahors where it is a synonym for Malbec.

THE WINE: ZIND-HUMBRECHT PINOT BLANC ALSACE

This wine was received as a sample, but as always, all opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.

Our Pinot Blanc today is by Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, one of Alsace’s most iconic wineries with a history dating back to 1620. (We’ve explored one of their wines before here.) It emerged in its current form when Leonard Humbrecht married Genevieve Zind, joining the families’ vineyards and wineries, which had previously operated under their separate names. 

Olivier Humbrecht manages the winery today. He’s one of the few winemakers in the world to achieve MW status. He’s also a major advocate for biodynamic farming and has served as President of the Syndicat International des Vignerons en Culture Bio-Dynamique/ Biodyvin (SIVCBD) since 2002.

Image borrowed from the Kobrand website.

Zind-Humbrecht has been certified organic since 1998, and certified biodynamic since 2002. As such, the Domaine practice low-impact farming with a holistic view of the vineyard, using natural treatments and homeopathic herbs to tend to any issues in the vineyard, instead of commercial fertilizer, weed killer, and pesticides. Animals are used to work the land instead of machinery, to avoid compacting the soil. Vines are tended by hand, organic compost is used in the vineyard, and the yields are restricted to maintain quality. In the winery, they use minimal sulfites and native yeast fermentations. (For more on Olivier Humbrecht's take on biodynamic, see here.)

The 2019 Pinot Blanc is a blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, and Auxerrois is dominant here with 65% of the blend. On the day we opened in I picked up lemon cream, gold apples, and few white flowers on the nose. These notes were joined on the palate with stone fruits and hints of nutmeg and ginger. The wine’s texture was silky and round with hints of minerality on the finish.

THE PAIRING

Pinot Blanc in general kind of gives me the impression of everyday luxury, like a cozy blanket you spend a little extra on because you know you’re going to curl up with it every day. It’s not a pricey or fancy wine, but that extra hint of texture brings in a touch of decadence to the mouthfeel. I’ve also had this wine in previous vintages, so had an idea of what to expect, and knew this is a version likely to be on the more elegant end of the spectrum for the grape(s).

I wanted to pair it with a dish that straddled similar lines as the wine, something familiar but with a bit of decadence to it, that was also appropriate for summertime. A classic leek tart topped with bacon and Gruyère seemed perfect, as I shared at the beginning. The combination seems to me just like something you might enjoy at a French bistro. 

It worked out beautifully. The cream tart filling and flaky pastry crust brought out the rounder side of the wine, with the stone fruit flavors emerging more in the pairing. The nutmeg in the dish brought out the same note in the wine. I also thought the weight of the food and wine matched each other nicely.

I definitely felt like I created a bistro at home for an evening!

OTHER POSSIBILITIES 

Pinot Blanc pairs easily with a lot of food, but it does particularly well with creamy textures so it’s ideal with cream sauces, soft cheeses, and egg dishes. I also think it’s a great pairing for roast chicken.

THE GEEKY DETAILS

Taken from the Zind-Humbrecht website which shares a lot of information on its wines, so see here for additional details. 

Vineyards: These grapes are grown on the Rotenberg vineyard in Wintzenheim and Herrenweg area in Turckheim. The earlier ripening gravelly soil of Herrenweg will bring power and aromatic intensity, while the cooler limestone in Rotenberg will bring structure and more aging capacity. The 2019 shows an ideal ripeness and balance and fermented dry.

Rotenberg vineyard. Photo courtesy of Zind-Humbrecht website.

MONEY TALK 

The average price of this wine is $24, which I think is a Solide Value, particularly given the quality level of the house. However, I also often see it on sale, and then it’s very worth grabbing. This would also be an interesting wine to experience over time, buying a few bottles to see how it develops over several years. 

tart, leeks, bacon

appetizer, tarts

French

Servings: Serves 6 to 8. Six light meal portions, or eight appetizer portions

By: Nicole Ruiz Hudson

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Leek Tart with Bacon and Gruyère

Prep Time: 15 MinCooking Time: 60 MinTotal Time: 1 H & 15 M

Ingredients

• 10½ store-bought pastry crust (thawed according to package instructions), or Pâte Brisée shell
• 2 lbs young slim leeks, light green and white parts only, thinly sliced into rounds (Or about 2 cups previously sautéd sliced leeks.)
• 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, sliced into ¼ inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup heavy cream of crème fraiche
• ¼ cup whole-milk ricotta or fromage blanc
• 1 ¼ tsp salt, or as needed
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper, or as needed
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ to ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Prepare the pastry crust in a pie dish or tart ring. Keep the dough cold in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
3. Soak the leeks in cold water to remove the sand and grit. Drain well.
4. Place the bacon on a large baking sheet or oven-safe pan and place it in the oven. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven until the pieces are lightly golden brown and starting to crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven, scoop the bacon pieces onto a plate lined with paper towels, and set aside.
5. Cook the leeks while the bacon is in the oven. Combine the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and warm over low to medium-low heat until the butter melts. Stir in the leeks, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender – about 15 minutes. If the leeks begin to brown before they’re cooked through, add a bit of water to the pan to slow down the browning. Once tender, stir in the flour and stir well to combine. (You can also do this step a couple of days in advance, and stir in the flour when you’re ready to use.)
6. Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream or crème fraîche, the ricotta or fromage blanc in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the salt, peppers, and nutmeg. Add in the leeks and mix well. Remove the prepared pastry crust from the fridge and pour the filling into the pastry shell. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the top of the tart, pressing lightly into the filling, followed by the shredded Gruyère.
7. Bake the tart in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the tart is puffed and lightly golden browned, and lightly set, and the pastry is golden. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Adapted from the recipe for Tarte aux Poireaux in French Tarts: 50 Savory and Sweet Recipes by Linda Dannenberg.

https://www.sommstable.com/2021/07/Zind-Humbrecht-Pinot-Blanc-with-Leek-Bacon-Tart.html

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• And Alsace Rocks With Paul Blanck Rosenbourg Riesling and Summer Shrimp by Syrah Queen.