If you’re wondering which wines are best paired with chicken Cacciatore, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help you understand which wines are best when paired with this delicious dish.
Chicken Cacciatore is a traditional Italian meal made with herbs, tomatoes, and a variety of vegetables. These vegetables include garlic, bell peppers, onions, black olives, and anchovies.
As this dish is dense with flavor, the wine pairing must be high in acidity. This is because it highlights all the individual flavors of this delicious dish.
Chianti Classico, Carmignano, Primitivo, and Merlot are among some of the best wines out there for pairing with this dish. Let’s take a look at some of the best wines to pair with this Chicken Cacciatore!
What Is Chicken Cacciatore?
Chicken Cacciatore is a classic dish that originates in Italy. It is also known as a hunter’s stew. In the past, this dish would have been made with either chicken or rabbit.
Each recipe has been adapted for those who are hunting or traveling, and it requires an easy-to-prepare recipe.
Traditionally, this dish is a combination of chicken, mushrooms, and spices. The most common spices are oregano, thyme, and parsley.
Wine Characteristics To Pair With Chicken Cacciatore
The best wines to pair with this dish will be dry with medium levels of acidity. Medium to full-bodied wines are much better to pair, too. The best wine to pair also has spicy, earthy, and fruity notes.
If the tannins are out of balance with your acid, then the clash between the tannins and the tomatoes in the dish can cause an aluminum-like flavor. This is why it is important to get a good pair of this dish.
Red Wine Pairings With Chicken Cacciatore
There are many different red wines that you can pair with Chicken Cacciatore. These include:
Chianti Classico
Chianti Classico is a medium-bodied, acidic wine. It is well-balanced when it comes to tannin content. The fruitiness and herbal notes of this wine make the meal more sophisticated.
The Chianti Classico is the best pairing compared to the Chianti, as this wine is 80% Sangiovese. This means that the unique flavors of the grapes are preserved within the bottles.
Barbera
This wine is light-bodied and low in alcohol content. It is an acidic wine that is fruit-forward, containing flavors of raspberry, cherry, and plum. Barbera is also known for the minerality and earth flavors of the wine.
This wine is great because it will not steal the show itself. Instead, it will shine a light on the dish and elevate the dining experience.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a red wine that is well known for its acidity. It is a great addition to this dish as the acid levels will cleanse your palate between bites. This wine is lower in alcohol content and it is lighter bodied.
The dish is complemented by the red fruit and the earth-driven flavor profile. These flavors enhance the flavor of the dish.
Nero D’Avola
The Sicilian Red is a great wine to pair with this dish. It is one of the fuller-bodied selections on the list. It is medium for both acid and tannins.
These bold flavors with balanced tannins make this a great option if you lean towards something more full-bodied.
Brunello Di Montalcino
This is a hearty Italian red wine. This wine is from Tuscany and it is made from the Sangiovese Grosso grape.
This wine is high in tannins and has a large amount of acidity. This works very well with the dish, specifically the tomato, bell pepper, and onion flavors of the dish.
The black and red cherry notes in this wine also deliver lots of refreshments. This wine can age for decades, and it is recommended that you select a wine with at least 10 years of aging time.
This is because, at this time, the tannin will mellow, allowing the flavors to come out.
When this wine is properly aged, Brunello shouldn’t overpower the neutral chicken flavors. The high acidity of this wine will help the chicken to stand out among the bell peppers, olives, garlic, and onions.
White Wine Pairings With Chicken Cacciatore
Many great white wines work well with this dish. These include:
Vermentino
Vermentino is a medium-bodied and medium-acidity wine. It is a powerful wine with a large number of different flavors. These flavors are complex and the herbal notes work very well alongside the chicken dish.
Gewurztraminer
This is a dry, full-bodied white wine. It has intense floral aromas with low acidity. While this may seem like it wouldn’t work well with this dish, it does work. The acid in the dish refreshes the wine in lots of ways.
The spiciness of the wine is also very complementary to the spiciness of the wine.
Gruner Veltliner
This wine is highly acidic and medium-bodied. It is herbaceous, which complements the herbs in the dish, drawing them out.
The pepper and spice notes that you find in the wine will leave a finish to the meal that you would not have experienced without this wine.
Cortese Di Gavi
This wine is high in acid and low in alcohol content. It is from the Piedmont Region, and the minerality and herbs within the dish bring out the flavor of the herbs in the dish.
This is a great wine to have with this dish at lunchtime, as it is low in alcohol content.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! After reading this article you should have a clear understanding of the best wine to pair with Chicken Cacciatore. This is a delicious dish, and the flavors of this dish must be enhanced by the wine that the dish is paired with.
So, what are you waiting for? Start enjoying your Chicken Cacciatore and wine dishes today!
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