The warm and colorful spices of India find a welcoming match in the hearty, white wines from Lugana, Italy.
Disclosure: The wines featured in this post were provided as media samples for review. All opinions are my own.
About Lugana
Located in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy, the soils are comprised of clay and gravel that add minerality to the wines.
Lugana wines are made from the Turbiana grape, which is not the same as the Trebbiano grape.
A Pescatarian Indian Menu
Poached Shrimp in a tomato, turmeric broth – fresh spring peas
Blue Lake Green Bean and New Potato Curry – curry spices, ghee
Tandoori Steelhead Trout – yogurt, garam masala, ginger, garlic, chili
Lemon Cucumber and Tomato Achar – curry powder, lemon, pink Himalayan salt
Dal Makhani – tomato, cream, cilantro, spices
Lugana Wines
I sampled 3 different bottles of Lugana wine. All came in different sized bottles and ranged in hue from light to golden yellow.
Consistent to each bottle was a distinct aftertaste of cured ham, structure, and a savory acidic quality.
I would not call these delicate but rather hearty white wines that could definitely stand with spices and stronger flavors.
2015 Ca’ Lojera Lugana Superiore
Medium in color; bright, fresh, acidity. Sweet, pear like finish. Most well balanced. Each sip made me want for more.
Pairing Notes: The wine really accentuated the tomato sweetness in the dal. The vegetable curry brought out the lemon notes in the wine. The tandoori trout really made this wine sing – put all the flavors in full bloom.
I also tried this wine with a SPICY Thai tofu dish, and the spice completely washed out the nuance in this wine. So beware when pairing with strong spicy heat.
Learn more about Ca Lojera Winery.
Citari Conchiglia
This came in a interesting squat shaped bottle. It tasted refreshing with the veg curry but the tandoori really brings out the warm toasted meringue notes in the wine. Tart with the shrimp and the lovely onion flavors.
Patrizia Jadore
Reall nice with the lentils. With food, it tamed the tartness in the wine. Brought out a lot of apple/pear flavors with the fish and the tomato/cucumber achar. Stung a little mroe with the fish.
The Last Drop
These wines were really lovely and unique. Rather than being overpoweringly floral, fruity, or grassy, they were citrusy with more complexity like a preserved lemon, slightly salted and aged.
Though I chose to pair them with vegetarian food and fish, I think they could easily handle red meat curries and a nice butter chicken as well.
They would also pair well and make for a fun tasting night with Chinese or Indonesian food.
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