2018 Super T

Curious about food and wine pairing? Welcome, we hope you enjoy this installment of “Pairing with Ponte”.

Our 2018 Super T is crafted with a nod to the rebellious Super Tuscan style found in Italy. It’s a medium-bodied, balanced, approachable red wine, with great structure and firm tannins. Barrel aging yields notes of vanilla and toasted marshmallow. This proprietary blend of big, bold, grapes showcases the elegance of Sangiovese alongside the intensity of Cabernet Sauvignon. With raspberry, vanilla, and cherry cola notes, this bottle is ready to enjoy now, but set some aside for two to three years; this vintage will only improve with age.

About Super Tuscans

Super Tuscans made their first appearance back in the 1970s in Tuscany. The term “Super Tuscan” refers to Italian wines that went against the grain, eschewing the austere DOC guidelines. A bold move yielding bold wines, it was meant to help distinguish these bottles from the “Vino da Tavola” (aka table wine) genre. These rogue vintners married Merlot, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon to produce wines with character and to paraphrase The Wine Bible, “international wines with distinct Italianness.”

Breaking the rules paid out, and bringing non-indigenous fruit to the table launched a genre that rocked the wine world. Italy finally came around, creating a new designation, Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT), ranking them above Vino da Tavola. It’s worth noting that a few years later, Bolgheri DOC modified its rules, allowing some international varieties, integrating Super Tuscans into the DOC system.

Pairing

Bold wines call for bold foods. Think bitter greens, garlic, lasagna, rich polenta, spicy sausages, mushrooms, and tomato sauces. Antipasto trays laden with hard cheeses and cured meats, bruschetta, and roasted peppers, make for an extra happy happy hour spread. Keep it simple, and try your hand at this Tuscan Kale Salad from The New York Times. Serve our Super T at 60-65° F and raise a glass to the Italian rebels who bucked convention!

Tuscan Kale Salad
Courtesy of NYT Cooking

2 to 4 servings
20 minutes

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also known as black or lacinato kale)
• 1 thin slice country bread (part whole-wheat or rye is nice), or 1/4 cup homemade bread crumbs (coarse)
• ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely grated pecorino cheese, more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for garnish
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl.
2. If using bread, toast it until golden on both sides. Tear it into small pieces and grind in a food processor until mixture forms coarse crumbs.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, or with the back of a knife, pound garlic into a paste. Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper, and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over kale and toss very well to thoroughly combine (dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat leaves).
4. Let salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with bread crumbs, additional cheese and a drizzle of oil.

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Our knowledgeable staff is ready to help you enjoy wine tasting at our facility. Pairing with Ponte is a fun, easy, way to impress your guests—give our pairing suggestions a whirl and stay tuned for our next post. Saluté!