And I’m not talking about a football match…! Because basically, in the gastronomic field, whoever says Spain says… Paella!
Then there are different recipes of paella depending on where you are, but the classic one remains the Valencian paella: a mixture of meat, fish and vegetables combined with rice flavored with saffron, paprika, turmeric and other spices.
So let’s talk about a rich, unique dish, with intense flavors, spicy but not too much: the meat (sausage, chicken) together with the fish (shrimp) remain all in all at the same level, without prevailing one over the other. And all mixed with rice and peas, green beans and peppers that give a touch of bitterness.
In short, we need a white wine: decisive but not too much, spicy but with caution. We need good aroma and freshness to balance the savory and the bitter character of the paella. And so let’s go to Friuli and choose a Friulano Schiopetto 2020.
This Friulano (formerly called Tocai), which is part of the “Firefighter Line” (as evident from the very funny label) shows a straw yellow color and golden reflections; it fully represents the characteristics of this vine from the Friuli hills. The nose bursts with a note of white flowers, lime, rosemary; in the mouth a good freshness and a strong salinity with a slightly bitter aftertaste manages to counterbalance the complex and varied taste palette of paella.
Yes, I am satisfied with this combination between two Countries that basically have a lot in common. So I would say Italy-Spain 1-1