An important wine, a wine of structure, complex when aged and particularly enticing even when young and ready to drink, in Puglia, Nero di Troia reigns supreme both with sophisticated dishes and traditional ones.
It pairs well with meats prepared in any style, also complementing strong flavors like lamb, game, guinea fowl, and dishes with juicy and spicy tastes.
So, indulge in a feast of palate-pleasing sensations with numerous main courses based on roasted, stewed, or pan-cooked meats, or with typical dishes from its region of origin, northern Puglia from the north of Bari to the province of Foggia, such as sweet and sour lamb and stuffed guinea fowl.
Being a full-bodied red, born with a substantial polyphenolic load that defines the weight of its tannins, it brings balance to the palate with succulent dishes.
And while it’s true that its tannins can be softened with a passage in barrique, they will never lose that personality that defines its challenging structure, perfect for demanding banquets. Aromas, mysteries, and power in a wine with multiple facets that enchant the nose and mouth with hints of blackberries and licorice, spices and wood, with balsamic and sometimes herbaceous notes, even slightly bitter, that blend elegantly and soften even challenging flavors like those of game.
When young and with a more floral and fruity bouquet, but with harder tannins, Nero di Troia demands equally bold flavors, where its typical aromas soften the intensity of the meat’s taste by contrast, particularly while its structure enhances the savory preparation.
In its more elegant version, which comes from barrique aging, up to the reserve versions, where the natural sharpness of the tannins gives way to greater refinement and harmony, this wonderful wine can be appreciated with important ragù first courses, but also with the more delicate flavors of legume soups or the more enveloping ones of aged cheeses.
Recipes like sage guinea fowl, roast pork, sweet and sour goose, and the more classic stews with potatoes help to best express the unique characteristics of Nero di Troia.
And for true Nero di Troia “addicts,” here’s how to prepare a braised marinated meat, and guess where? In Nero di Troia wine, of course.
Preparation for four people: first, marinate the pieces of colt muscle (800 g) in a bowl or container with 1.5 liters of Nero di Troia red wine for at least two hours; transfer the meat to a pot and add a vegetable mix (1 carrot, 2 spring onions, 1 celery stalk), add 1 teaspoon of coarse kitchen salt and 30 g of oil, let it cook on low heat for 15/20 minutes to slowly release the wine absorbed by the meat; when the wine contained in the meat has evaporated, add the remaining marinade and let it cook on moderate heat, covered, for about 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Before finishing cooking, adjust the salt and turn off the heat only when almost all the cooking liquid has evaporated.
Serve with a good wine. A Nero di Troia, of course, and which one if not one of the 8 Crifo labels from the Cantina di Ruvo di Puglia? Choose from Augustale Riserva DOCG in purity, Squarcione Appassimento IGP in purity, Terre del Crifo IGP in purity and in blend DOP, Grifone in purity IGP and in blend DOP and two three-liter Bag in Tubes, “black” and “orange”, in purity IGP.
