Wine next to the fireplace

Winter means a sofa, a blanket, a lit fireplace and a glass of red wine. And if the fireplace is just a dream, Netflix and YouTube come to our aid, that if you listen carefully you can already hear the crackling. As for the wines to taste, don't worry, I'll advise you what to choose. Whether it's in solitude, to enjoy a moment of relaxation after an exhausting day, or in the company of friends or boyfriends, a glass of an excellent red wine (or two, or three!) is always what you need. 

Barbaresco DOCG 2016 – Masseria

Let's start from northern Italy: we are in Piedmont, more precisely in the Langhe, near Alba. This wine is produced from the Nebbiolo vine and has a garnet red color. The bouquet of aromas develops on the nose, with fruity notes of black cherry, cherry and currant and notes of flowers and spices. On the palate it is full-bodied and elegant but with a pleasant freshness. And if before finishing the bottle sitting comfortably on the sofa you want to prepare a dinner with all the trimmings, I recommend a Martian recipe that will be right for you, since it involves the use of hazelnuts, an emblem of Piedmont. Baked pasta with cauliflower, gorgonzola, hazelnuts and sage: here is the recipe.

Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2016 – Canalicchio di sopra

We are more or less in central Italy with this pure Sangiovese with an intense ruby red color with reflections of garnet red. On the nose, hints of cherry and red and black berries stand out, such as raspberry, blueberry and plum. Among the spices we find black pepper and vanilla but balsamic, tobacco and licorice notes are also perceptible. All this is made possible by the wood of the barrel in which the wine is aged and rests for 12 months. It is therefore a good expression of Tuscan red, elegant, full and round, soft and enveloping. With this wine there is no more apt pairing than a steak, strictly rare, perhaps cooked right at the fireplace, so as to immediately feel immersed in the hills between Siena and Florence.

And if you've always wondered why steak and structured red wine always go hand in hand, here's the answer you've been waiting for. The chewing of the meat, together with the liquid given by the rare cooking, create an above-normal salivation in the mouth and the tannin of the wine, which creates astringency, will "reabsorb" it so as to reach the perfect balance.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC 2015 – Cataldi Madonna

Finally, we move on to the south of the peninsula, with an impenetrable ruby red Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. On the nose we perceive red fruits such as raspberry, plum, currant and black cherry, which are then also reconfirmed on the palate. In addition, on the palate we feel the flavor of ripe cherries, even in jam and notes of spices, such as vanilla. The tannins are soft and the wine as a whole is enveloping, round, balanced and fine and with a good persistence. A culinary pairing for this bottle? A Martian recipe, of course! Garganelli sausage and saffron are perfect, because, as for the steak, here too the oversalivation given by the fat of the sausage and the combination of cream and saffron is perfectly balanced by the sensations of astringency and roughness of the tannin of this excellent wine.

So here is the list of three wines that will pamper you until the end of the winter season. So now that the wine is also there, all you have to do is choose a movie to play and... Voilá: The perfect winter evening has been arranged.