PIZZA WINES: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY YOU SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THEM
Now you will think that maybe I‘ve lost it, that the cold weather hit me or that I need a vacation and things like that. Well, no, I did not lose my mind! Pizza wines exist and live among us and I am sure you have drunk at least 1 once in your life. But what are pizza wines?
Pizza wines are those red wines that have plenty of juicy fruit, crisp acidity, medium (or even light body), mellow tannins, and not enormous complexity. In France, they are called glou glou wines (which you drink in one gulp like water) or vin de soif (wines that quench your thirst). They are the wines that you usually enjoy plain or with… take out and do not require much thought, you just snack, drink, enjoy, relax and of course you do not understand when the bottle ran out. Well, you are probably wondering, are these wines worth my attention? YES, I will tell you and I will explain exactly the reason below.
There are comfort foods that we enjoy when we have the blues or when it is raining outside or when we are just very tired and there are wines that do the same job. For example, when you return after a long meeting at the office you just want to relax and not overthink. This means that you will probably not have an appetite for an aged Bordeaux that will require decanting, the right glass, and generally its time and attention to shine. That's where Pizza Wine comes in to solve the problem, which, beware, might be simple but not simplistic! If the above example seems a bit silly to you then I have one more for you. You had a fight with your other half and you are feeling down. You want to watch a movie to ease your mind and make you laugh. Most likely, you will not choose either Kieslowski's Yellow or Lanthimos’s Lobster. You're probably in for Crazy weekend at Bernie’s or Bridget Jones Diary. So where do we end up? Simply put, Pizza Wines can offer what Crazy weekend at Bernie’s, pizza and burgers do on a hard day, they are soothing! For this last and very important reason, Pizza Wines deserve a place in your heart, your wine fridge, and your daily life! For that reason, I will suggest to you my favorites and the dishes (or mood) with which I combine them.
The ultimate pizza wine or rather the definition of pizza wine is Fabien’s You Fuck my wine. Fabien, the next big thing of Cahors, as they call him, makes unique wines, of strictly limited production, that are divided into 2 categories: Vins de Soif (thirst or pizza wines) and Vins de Terroir. And we tell you for sure that he is a maître in both! You f & @ k my wine is a juicy wine from Malbec and Jurancon Noir, aged for 6 months in concrete tanks and oak barrels. This wine (or rather its name) is dedicated to French legislation that did not allow him to use the term Cahors PDO because he used Jurancon in the blend. Pair it with a spicy pizza with tomato sauce, spianata piccante, olives and onion.
In Aiora there are 3 major varieties, Mavrotragano, Xinomavro and Syrah. Each one gives something while the aging in Cretan amphoras comes and emphasizes the impressive whole. Slightly chilled, it goes uniquely with a variety of dishes. My favorite combination is with Iberico pork chops glazed with soy and honey. Now if this sounds sophisticated for your tastes, order mutton skewers, which is the new trend, or beef liver skewers!
Monday night, after o long weekend, the reality hits hard and everything seems unbearable but there is a solution, a silver lining. There is Amauta Tannat at home and souvlaki is also recommended as an antidepressant. Did you do the equation or not yet? Juicy, meaty, spicy gyros, pork or doner and other accessories (without potatoes) are an ideal combination for the fruity but at the same time structured Tannat, with its medium but ripe tannins. Long live the pizza (or souvlaki) wines.
Something happened at the last minute and your date is canceled. What to do about that? Pity yourself? No! You order sushi (California roll, spicy maki with salmon and tuna and an inside out with shrimp tempura and spicy mayo) and until it arrives, you put Kompsos in the fridge for a while. You relax, put on Sex & the city or Peaky Blinders (we are talking about elegance, kompsos means elegant) and enjoy your sushi and Kompsos Liatiko. You see how difficult it is to balance on sky-high Manolo heels and find the right guy or how hard life id for the London gangs while at the same time, you realize how well this juicy red goes with raw fish. Date? Which date?
Well, do not tell me that you want more explanation for this, his name says it all since halara means laid back, relaxed! This juicy red inspired by the summer holidays of a group of friends in Tinos is what you want after a long day in the streets and traffic. You open it, put on La vita e bella, order some pasta (I would prefer a puttanesca) and relax!
Eva Markaki
Wine Geek
