raise three glasses to this Puglian champion

Spicy and rich, this wine calls for similar flavours in the food. It’s an ideal choice for pasta in a slow-cooked ragù sauce.  Every part of Italy has its own variant, with the best-known being the classic spaghetti bolognese.  For a more Puglian version use more onion and tomato, add fresh basil, swap the spaghetti for orecchiette and the parmesan for pecorino.

 

My own favourite southern Italian pasta dish is Penne al Cavolfiore (spicy cauliflower pasta), which I cook almost every week.  I’ve enjoyed many reds with it, but this one is just perfect.  (This recipe is close, but you need to add 5 or 6 fresh sage leaves and a handful of flat-leaf parsley, all finely chopped, straight after the tomatoes go in.)

 

Serve this full-bodied, warm and savoury red at cool room temperature (16°C to 18°C) in generously-sized glasses.  Three of them, of course!