It is time to wrap up our Asti Monferrato exploration with wine pairing ideas for the traditional dessert / sweet wines from this historic winemaking region. After learning about the Monferrato and the Asti Monferrato hills as a UNESCO World Heritage site in a previous article and hearing directly from 4th generation winemaker Andrea Ivaldi in our last article, now is the moment to open that Moscato d’Asti and Brachetto d’Acqui.

Starting off our piedmontese cuisine meal from the Monferrato, we had a starter/appetizer recipe for traditional chicken salad, followed by an umami packed mushroom pasta recipe, the entrée of a hearty and down-home hazelnut beef roast, and today we have saved the sweetest for last with an Italian pie recipe that is so versatile, you will never not be able to serve it!

Pairing with Moscato d’Asti and Brachetto d’Acqui

First off, be sure to check out our last VeroTalk with Andrea Ivaldi when we learned about making Moscato d’Asti and Brachetto d’Acqui. The first pairing that came to mind of winemaker Andrea for his sweet red spumante Brachetto d’Acqui is strawberries, and wine educator Mary Beth Vierra suggested also a pound cake with strawberries.  Then when we tasted his Moscato d’Asti which Andrea makes slightly less sweet than most Moscato d’Astis, the taste sensation that came to mind is like drinking chamomille and honey as a wine. At which point, Mary Beth Vierra mentioned that a wine like this moscato is a great and non-traditional brunch wine, suggested pairing with french toast but without the sugar or syrup on top, allowing the sweetness of the Moscato d’Asti to contrastly pair with the savory flavor of the french toast. Mix and match on your own to discover your own favorite pairings with these 2 wines. You can also check out our previous article all about pairing dessert wines with food for more suggestions.

Remember, when considering wine pairing with a whole menu, not just the sweet dessert, variety is key. A four generation winery like Ivaldi in Nizza Monferrato has a little bit of something for nearly meal! Between all their versatile and varied wines, you can find something for every dish, and every person. Aperitivo? Try bubbles and their Andrea Alta Langa. A mushroom pasta or primo? Try a fresh, young red like the single vineyard Piccona Barbera d’Asti. A nice steak or roast for an entrée? An aged complex red like their Nizza DOCG is a unique alternative to nearby Barolos or Barbarescos and will be a wine pairing to remember. No matter your need, dish, or personal preference, Ivaldi can help you serve a great Monferrato meal… from start to finish!

Crostata, aka Italian Pie

A crostata, or an Italian pie, is a versatile and delicious thing that is a staple of every Italian household, partly because of its simplicity. Made essentially with a sweet pie crust, known as pasta frolla, and the jam of your choice, it can been whipped up fairly quickly, especially if one uses pre-made jam.  Of course, when it is the season, making your own homemade jam with fresh fruit adds an unrivaled depth of flavor, and satisfaction too. As a pro tip, if you want to save and can extra jam for later, place it while still boiling hot in your jars and close the lids tight.  This will help to create a vacuum effect, conserving your jam for later.

Pasta frolla is a dough, almost similar to a butter or sugar cookie, and is used often as a base for many different cakes and even more elaborate pies in Italy, not just the humble crostata. This means too, that any left over dough after you have finished your crostata can be used to make simple drop sugar cookies, or more elaborate cut out cookies.

Below, we share a recipe for crostata from our Vero Chef Jacqueline Mitchell living in Italy, and she says her favorite part of a crostata is the versatility and decorations: ‘I always cut out shapes or take the extra few moments to make a nice latticework on my crostata with leftover dough. It doesn’t take much time, but adds such a cute tough to it. A crostata is a great dessert to whip up for last minute guests if need be. Plus, I love how just swapping the jam filling can totally change the dish, allowing me to tailor the dessert based on seasonality, menu, and what dessert wine I want to serve.’

When pairing with a dessert wine, keep in mind the flavors present in the wines, and match your jam to it.  For example, a light red sweet and frizzy wine like Brachetto d’Acqui pairs wonderfully with strawberries, so use a strawberry or berry jam.  A white sweet wine, like Moscato d’Asti, however, works better with a peach or apricot jam. 

Prep Your Wine Celllar for the Holidays

Immerse yourself in this historic and under-the-radar wine region, Asti Monferrato, by checking out this article or this live wine class and tasting with Andrea Ivaldi where we tasted the full lineup of his 5 wines.

Purchase the Asti Monferrato Explorer Set and add with free shipping his champagne style sparkling Alta Langa and aged bold red Nizza DOCG Barbera.

Crostata con la Marmellata - Italian Pie with Homemade Jam

Cooking and Prep Time: 1 hr (including jam)

Ingredients:

Pie Crust (Pasta Frolla)
¾ cup Butter
¾ cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 Egg Yolks
½ teaspoon Vanilla
Zest of half a Lemon
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Dash of Salt

Jam Filling (or 1 jar of store bought jam)

1-pound fresh fruit (such as strawberries or peaches)
¾ cup sugar
½ packet jam pectin

Suggested Wine Pairings:
Ivaldi | Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti | Semi-Sparkling Sweet Wine
Ivaldi | Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui | Sweet Semi-Sparkling Red Wine

Procedure:

1. If you are using store bought jam, skip to step 2.  Clean your fruit and cut into large chunks in a pot.  Mix together the sugar and pectin, then add to the fruit, stirring to coat.  Over high heat, while stirring continuously begin the cook the fruit and sugars.  After approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, when the fruit is soft and well-cooked and the liquid has thickened slightly, remove from heat and with an immersion blender, gently pulse the jam a few times to remove the largest chunks.  Set aside to let cool.

2. In a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.  Then add in your eggs and yolk with the vanilla and lemon zest.  Once amalgamated, add the flour mixed with the baking powder and a dash of salt a bit at a time and slowly mix until a uniform dough that detaches from the sides of the mixer and forms a ball.  Cover and let rest for 15-20 minutes.

3. Preheat your oven to 375oF and butter and flour a 10-inch round pie pan.  Then, on a heavily floured surface, gently roll out your dough until approximately ¼ inch thick.  Transfer it to your pie pan, and trim off the excess dough to create a clean border.  Save the trimmings for later.

4. Spoon in your jam to create a layer reaching about half way up your crust.Smooth out.If desired, roll out thin strips of extra dough to create a lattice work, or cut out shapes to place on top of the crostata. Alternatively, the extra dough can be used to make cookies in the fashion of cut out sugar cookies (bake for 10 minutes approximately).

5. Once you have finished decorating the top of your crostata, place it to bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges of the crust have turned a golden brown. Remove and let cool nearly completely before serving with a glass of sweet wine.

N.B. This recipe is courtesy of Trattoria Risorgimento in Treiso, Italy.

Try Ivaldi’s Wines from the Monferrato