Dinner - Zeppolis (Italy) 04/01/12

Front of Zeppolis Italian Restaurant

On certain Sunday's, Zeppolis hosts a wine and food pairing for students enrolled in Geography of Wine. A number of Italian white and red wines were featured in the dinner. These wines were paired with traditional, freshly made Italian cuisine.

Food Presentation

The dinner consisted of heavy h'ordeuvres. We were served baked shells with marinara, a mediterranean pasta, balsamic chicken salad, Italian bread pepperoni pizza and an assortment of cheeses including brie and mozzarella. The wines of the night complemented the food perfectly.




The white wine list comprised Fossi Bianco white table wine, La Fiera Pinot Grigio, Nals Margried Pinot Grigio and Lodali Moscato D'Asti. The reds consisted of Luca Primitivo del Salento Puglia, Feudi di San Marzano Primitivo Puglia, Morli Neri Chianti, Bibi Graetz Casamata Toscana and Lodali Nebbiolo D'Abla Sant Ambrogrio.

Nals Margried 2010 Pinot Grigio Alto Adige

One of my favorite white wines was the Nals Margried Pinot Grigio. The nose was yellow citrus fruit flavors with hints of green apple. The wine tasted creamy and oily on the palette with melon and lemon flavors bleeding through. The wine paired excellently with the balsamic chicken salad. The freshness of the wine complemented the fresh chicken and salad.

Lodali 2011 Moscato D'Asti

I don't usually care for desert wines like moscato, but on this particular occasion I enjoyed the wine. The Lodali Moscato D'Asti was loaded with honey and fresh fruit aromas. Lots of pear and peach flavors came on mid-palette with a bubbly-fresh finish. Surprisingly, the moscato paired well with the mediterranean pasta. The sweetness of the wine countered the saltiness of the olives in the pasta. I never would have expected a dessert wine to pair so well with a savory dish.

Bibi Graetz 2010 Casamata Toscana

I had never tasted a Sangiovese before, and I found the Casamata Toscana to my liking. The nose was a deep red fruit aroma with an earthy spice. The tasted just as it smelled with rich plum and red currant flavors coming through. I thought the wine paired well with the baked shells with marinara and the Italian bread pizza. The red sauces of both dishes complemented the deep red wine very well.

Lodali 2009 Nebbiolo D'Alba Sant Ambrogrio

This was my favorite wine of the night. This wine was so complex with flavor and texture out the shiz. The Nebbiolo had a perfect balance of tannic structure and alcohol. It had bright red aromas of plum and cherry. The wine was extremely smooth on the palette with dark cherry flavors. The Nebbiolo paired well with the marinara of the baked shells with the acid in both the food and wine complementing and enhancing the flavor.

Overall, the wine dinner was very enjoyable.  The food and wine were delicious. I learned all about what wines go well with what foods, and I've been incorporating this knowledge into my wine pairing decisions. I'm definitely going to explore Italian wines more thoroughly, especially Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. I can't wait for the next wine dinner!

Melissa and I at the Zeppolis wine dinner