Traditional Tuscan Food and Wine Pairings to Try

The flight to Italy is scheduled, your small luxury hotel is booked, and your bags are packed, but there's one last thing you need to do: Prepare your palate for the delicious wines and food that have their home in Italy. Italy is the top producer of wine in the entire world, and in 2015 17.43% of all the world's wine came from this beautiful Mediterranean country.

With this in mind, it only makes sense that you should go on a few wine tours when you're in Italy! Chances are when you're experiencing the Tuscan countryside, you will get a bit hungry -- so make sure to try these traditional Tuscan food and wine pairings while on luxury Tuscany wine tours.

Dry white wine with some panunto

Typical Tuscan meals start out with rustic, unsalted bread. When it is sliced thick, grilled, and rubbed with garlic, it becomes panunto, a simple yet delicious appetizer. Pairing it with a dry white wine will complement the garlic without overwhelming your palate for the tastes and textures that are to come with the full meal.

Sweet white wine with Livorno’s cacciucco

This Livornese fish stew is a traditional dish from the western coastal towns of Tuscany and Liguria. The sweetness of the white wine will balance the spicy yet smooth flavors of the stew, without being too heavy. And don't worry, this stew is quite popular all year round so you can still try it if you go during the summer season!

Chianti and cotechino and lentils

Tuscany is hands down known across the world for its Chianti, which is a full-bodied red wine that comes in a squat bottle accompanied by a traditional straw basket. It pairs wonderfully with cotechino and lentils, a traditional New Year's Eve dish that Italians enjoy in hopes of receiving more money and good fortune in the new year. It is a sausage made from a mix of pork meat, fat, and rind served with cooked lentils on the side. The Chianti has the perfect blend of spices to help bring you good luck as well!

Make sure to try all these pairings during your trip to Italy and you are sure to have a wonderful, authentic Italian experience!

Don't let the luxury slip away the moment you leave your wine tour. If your stay in Tuscany isn't booked yet, stay with us in our grand hotels to really make your trip come alive with memories, comfort, and the best wine in all of Tuscany!