The best red wines from Lazio
Lazio has a very rich and varied landscape, with mountains, lakes, sea, hills and plains, and the grapevines are perfectly integrated. From the former volcanoes that are now lakes, to the hills, this region was born to produce wine, so much so that since Ancient Rome, grapevines have been part of its agricultural economy. Of the most famous typical wines from Lazio, we must mention one of its DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) designations, Cesanese del Piglio. The production area is in the province of Frosinone, where the vines cover 15,000 hectares, and it is very famous in Lazio for its history and production quality. According to the production protocol, several types of Cesanese can be produced: the entry-level version, the Superiore, and the Riserva. The first is a typical Cesanese, produced from at least 90% Cesanese d’Affile or Comune, which has a ruby red hue, aromas of flowers and red berry fruit, good body and length. The Cesanese del Piglio Superiore has an ABV of at least 13%, while the Cesanese Riserva is subjected to a longer ageing period of no less than 20 months, 6 of those in the bottle.
Major red wine designations in Lazio
The Cesanese Riserva is a much richer and more complex version in terms of both its aromas and taste. Many IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) reds are produced across the whole of Lazio from different international grape varieties, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. These red grapes flourish in all territories, which explains their global success, but their organoleptic properties can change depending on the terrain and the climatic conditions where they are cultivated. Lazio has a Mediterranean climate but its soils are different. There are those composed of friable tufa in the area by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and those rich in clay and limestone along the coast of Cerveteri. Then there is volcanic terrain in the Colli Romani area, with sandy, marly and clay-rich soils that give the wines a full flavour and good minerality. The international grape varieties cultivated on the plains, on sandy and clay-rich soil with an abundance of minerals, produce excellent aromatic wines with intense colours.
Pairings with Lazio’s red wines
Lazio’s tasty traditional dishes are enhanced by both white and red wines. Want some examples? You can happily pair coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew), sweetbread or tripe – which are all tasty dishes with farming origins – with a Cesanese del Piglio, perhaps the Superiore version. The standard version could be paired with saltimbocca alla romana (veal wrapped in prosciutto) or fresh pecorino. This wine can be enjoyed with the whole meal, so with appetisers, first courses and second courses. When it comes to pairing with Italian first courses, we recommend pasta with a meat sauce, amatriciana sauce or rigatoni con la pajata (rigatoni with veal intestines), but it is also excellent with potato gnocchi and seasoned polenta with meat. As for appetisers, you can enjoy this wine with a platter of seasoned cured meats and semi-mature cheeses. Cesanese is also perfect with international cooking, with Tandoori chicken or sweet and sour chicken. With Abbuoto, a dish from Ciociaria made with lamb entrails, you need a more firmly structured red, such as a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
More harmonious flavours and aromas
You can pair an Atina DOC wine, composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah, with spicy cured meats, suckling lamb, and well-seasoned pasta dishes. An Aleatico di Gradoli is excellent for the end of a meal to accompany a dessert, pastries, or dried fruit. With a Cerveteri DOC wine, which has a harmonious and tasty flavour, we recommend serving cured meats, delicious cheeses and roast meats, while a Cesanese di Affile is better with first courses with chicken sauces, roasts, and suckling lamb. You can also pair a Cesanese di Olevano Romano with suckling lamb and chicken sauces but this wine is ideal with some desserts, too. Colli Etruschi Viterbesi, a wine with a harmonious and fresh taste, is excellent when sampled with soups, cured meats, omelettes, and soft cheeses, while Cori is enjoyable when accompanied by roast white meats and baked stuffed vegetables. Finally, we recommend pairing a Velletri wine with a typical dish like coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) or Roman-style suckling lamb.