When I received this bottle of Ferrari Trento Brut Sparkling Wine, they were kind enough to include a recipe. In Italian culture, sparkling wine is like any other wine — a wine to be paired for food. In our modern American culture, we’ve come to think as bubbles as something to be enjoyed on its own or with a light amuse bouche. I’m not saying some folks don’t pair sparkling wine with food, but it’s not that common — at least not for me. So, while I didn’t use the recipe provided, I did take their suggestion to pair the Brut with food as a personal challenge. I’ve a short series dedicated to sparkling wines this week (there will be some interesting sips for sure, so keep checking in) — all of which will be paired with a meal and some that will even include an actual recipe. What better way to start this week’s theme than with the folks who inspired this idea. Cheer Ferrari!
About the Wine: The Ferrari Trento Brut Sparkling Wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. All of Ferrari’s sparkling wines are made in the metodo classico, otherwise known as methode traditionelle or methode champenoise. (Read more about the traditional Champagne method.)
The wine was fermented for 24 months on sur lies in bottle.
12.5% ABV
Flavor Profile: Pop the cork on this Ferrari Trento Brut and aromas can only be described as pure yeast amazingness. Pouring the sparkling wine, it has an almost bright, lemony-yellow hue, but settles into the glass with a classic champagne color. Once in the glass, aromas open up to include lime zest and tropical stone fruits — namely mango and maybe a touch of grapefruit skin.
There are so many levels to this Brut — if you thought sparkling wine could only have one texture, Ferrari will put that stereotype to rest. This wine is light bodied, the bubbles many but microscopic — and yet there’s a fullness, an almost roundness in the mouthfeel that gives it that extra nudge of substance and structure. It’s really quite beautiful, appetizing, and intriguing.
Dominant flavors are of underripe mango, lemon juice, lime zest, and white-bread toast. I also want to note that this Brut is dry. I would personally want to name it an “extra brut” because it is just that finessed on the palate — what I mean is it comes in with all the subtlety of a dry sparkling, provides that substance and structure mid-taste, and then fades away leaving the palate completely clean.
Thus, it really is a perfect companion for food…
Food Pairing: The first night I enjoyed the Ferrari Trento Brut Sparkling Wine with an herb-baked chicken breast and strawberry salad. This was a fantastic pairing. Whether it was the herbs on the chicken (terragon and thyme), the soft texture of the breast itself, or maybe even the cheese sprinkled throughout the dish (manchego), the meal as a whole brought out yet another level to the wine, this time in flavors — earthy flavors of sand and beach rock warmed by the setting sun.
The second night I enjoyed the Ferrari Trento Brut Sparkling Wine, I had it alongside a homemade cauliflower crust pizza. As you can imagine, the light components in the wine did well to cut through the cheese and the sauce, but again the food did well to enhance the wine. Here, maybe because of the soft texture of the crust, and definitely because of the gooey cheese, that “round” background mouthfeel I was speaking about earlier was definitely highlighted (though maintained its spot in the back of the bubbles).
More Info: I received the Ferrari Trento Brut Sparkling Wine as a sample for review. (Cheers Ashley!) Retail: $35.99. For more information about Ferrari Trento, their wines, and to purchase wine directly, please visit the Ferrari Trento website.
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