by Carlo Aguzzi
When a sommelier has to pair a wine with a food, he must first analyze the food products that contribute to the formation of the dish. In the Soup we have three main elements:
the broth, the egg and the bread. Generally the broth is so light that all the wines end up overpowering its flavor.
The egg – especially the yolk – has a decidedly particular flavor, which almost always clashes with the red wine. Generally with the egg we pair young white wines, not excessively structured, with a fairly dry taste.
The bread is perhaps the most neutral element, even if we can find several differences depending on the composition: it can be made of white flour or of more flours, it can be toasted or fried, stale or fresh. It is therefore possible to understand how all these variations, which influence our palate, end up conditioning us in the choice of wine.
Therefore, since it is a simple dish, even the wine should not be excessively full-bodied or of great structure, in order not to cover the flavor of the soup. A fairly fragrant wine with a discreet softness will be sufficient, capable of contrasting even the bitter taste of fried or toasted bread. I therefore recommend a dry white wine, slightly sparkling, with delicate and fragrant aromas such as an Italian Riesling or a Cortese from Oltrepò Pavese. Who knows if Francis I had the opportunity to accompany the soup with wine… in that period even the Vernavola Valley and the adjacent territories were cultivated with vineyards: a small sandy hill was enough to plant some vine shoots.
But what grapes were there? Among the red grapes, the vespolina, the ughetta, the besgano (which gave a sparkling wine, but of very poor quality) and the pignolo (ancestor of the pinot) were grown. Among the white wines, the most cultivated grapes were the malvasia di Candia, the trebulano (trebbiano), the vernaccia and the Isabella chiaro, probable progenitor of the pinot grigio.
Text taken from the publication “Zuppa alla Pavese 2.0” courtesy of the Pavia Chamber of Commerce.
