The Wine Corner: Aldi Toscana Rosso, paired with Tomato and Bacon Pasta

After a little bit of research today I learnt that the best wine to accompany a tomato-based pasta dish would be something of the Sangiovese variety.

Sangiovese is Italy’s most commonly planted red grape which typically makes medium to full-bodied wine.  It is the main, minimum 80%, constituent grape of Chianti wine. The wine I have picked, however, is not made solely from this grape.  The San Zenone Toscana Rosso I have chosen is in fact a blend of primarily the San Giovese grape with both Merlot, the most widely planted grape of the French Bordeaux region, and Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape which was the product of a chance crossing of the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes during the 17th Century in Western France.

It could be classed a Super-Tuscan but is defined as IGT, a wine typical of the Tuscan region in which it is made.

It was also a gold medal winner in the 2010 Berlin Wine Fair.

This wine is definitely a fruity rather than a spicy red, though it is still warm.  The dominant flavour is red fruit, mainly cherry, with a little blackcurrant.  It is definitely, are you ready for a non-official wine buff term now, GLUGGABLE. Best of all, it is £3.99 a bottle.  It tastes like it should cost 3 times as much.

I think this wine makes a really good pairing with the following recipe:

Tomato and Bacon Pasta

Serves four.

Approximate cooking time 45 minutes

Approximate calories per serving 310

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 6 rashers of smoked back bacon, sliced into 1cm strips
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• Large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 400g penne pasta, cooked and drained
• Salt and pepper
• Grated parmesan to serve

Fry the onion in a large pan over a medium heat for approximately 6-7 minutes until soft and golden.  Add the bacon and chopped garlic.  Stir and season, but be careful with the salt as the bacon is quite salty.  Fry gently for a further 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes.  Rinse out the tin with a little water and add to the pan.  Add half of the chopped basil and stir.  Bring to the boil then simmer gently over a low heat for approximately 30 minutes or until sauce is of the desired consistency.  Check the seasoning.  Tip in the cooked, drained pasta and stir until thoroughly coated.  Finally stir in the remaining chopped basil.  Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan if desired.

As I am normally just cooking for me and Mr B, before adding the pasta I remove some of the sauce, pulse quickly in a blender, and freeze small portions to serve with baby pasta shapes for W.  Obviously omit the salt for children and this is probably not suitable for babies under 1 year old due to the high salt content of the bacon.

So there you have it folks, a simple tasty supper with a nice fruity red.  Pip Pip!

This post is part of Mum of One’s Wine Corner.  Check it out by clicking below.