Wine and chestnuts: the perfect pairings

The use of chestnuts is directly proportional to the historical tradition that precedes it: also called the “bread tree” by Xenophon in Ancient Greece, the fruit represented the main form of sustenance for the entire winter season. Gathered in November and preserved during the coldest months, chestnuts were stored, cooked and eaten in many and different ways. History reminds us that they first appeared in November, at the time of the “removal of sharecroppers”, that is, the period when peasants left the land they worked. As severance, they received the first products of the season: chestnuts and new wine.

The wine for chestnuts was therefore represented by a young wine, the wine of the earliest harvests: a light and thin wine that could bring a fresh and slightly sparkling note to the pastiness of the fruit.

It goes without saying that the pairing of wine and chestnuts is a popular tradition, strongly tied to the territory and the origins of one’s place. From a way of life to a way of operating, wine accompanied the fruit not to enhance or change its flavour but simply because they represented the products of the season and for this reason were consumed together. As time progressed, food developed the function of gratification and pleasure and no longer merely of sustenance; consequently, the human palate refined itself, developing an increasingly complex taste capacity.

And so it was that pairings between food and wine came about, which in this specific case become infinitely interesting when we pay attention to chestnuts. The ways to cook chestnuts have multiplied and each gives us a different facet of a multifaceted fruit, which can be sweet if boiled and cooked gently or tannic if eaten roasted and with its skin. It goes without saying that a roasted chestnut requires a red wine, preferably from a vintage that allows for immediate drinking such as Sangiovese, Brunello or Valpolicella. If the chestnut is instead treated delicately, allowing its sweetness and pastiness to express themselves, then a soft and fresh pairing will be necessary: the smooth and velvety consistency pairs well with simple red wines, served at room temperature, which help our palate to sweep away the residues and the amalgam given by the fruit. A delicate flavour that must not and cannot be overshadowed by the structure of the wine; it is therefore wrong to use spiced wines or wines in which the aroma of wood is very predominant, because it would cover the structure of the chestnut; it is therefore preferable to pair with wines produced in stainless steel barrels, fresh and slightly sweet.

Much depends on the preparation and its use. Making a pan of roasted chestnuts is quite different from cooking a purée for roasts or a condiment for risottos, soups or fresh pasta. In this case, the flavour of the chestnut is enhanced, sweetness prevails over the pasty composition and the wine must be able to balance the flavours well. Full-bodied wines can support the structure of the course; varieties such as Chianti pair well, or, changing region and colour, a Pinot Grigio. A wine with a well-defined structure that reflects the same characteristics of the chestnut, so as to create harmony and balance on the palate, leaving sweetness and aroma on the finish.

The sweet preparations based on chestnut are of no lesser importance, first among them Castagnaccio, a typical cake from the Tuscan tradition or Mont Blanc made with chestnut purée, in which the presence of sugar leads to an obligatory choice, that is, pairing with sweet wines. A sweet wine then, but rather structured, characterised by the same peculiarities, such as Vin Santo, also produced by our winery: Vin Santo Villa da Vinci.