Tuscan salami types and best wine pairings

I offer you a small overview of typical Tuscan salami types and their traditional pairings with Tuscan wine.

Finocchiona IGP is the most typical Tuscan salami with a unique flavour, thanks to the aroma of fennel used in seeds and (or) flowers in the dough and with a soft consistency. The combination of the best (certified) Italian meats and the artisanal recipe give life to the Finocchiona IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), which is obligatorily marked “IGP”. We use Tuscan bread with it as well.

The best combinations, I would say, are Sangiovese-based wines. Or white wines from Trebbiano grapes, even slightly macerated on the skins.

Cinta Senese, the meat of this pork, called “di Cinta” (Cinta = belt), owes its name to the white fur belt on the back surrounding its body, which is dark for the remaining part. The particular aroma of its meat is due to the disciplinary for which it is bred in the wild. An animal that weighs 40-50 kg at a young age weighs up to 300 kg in adulthood.

The meat is used both in the fresh version, cooked on the grill, in a pan, on a spit or in the oven, but also processed like cold cuts: from fresh sausage to ham, from “buristo” to “sopressata“, “capocollo“, “pancetta“, and Cinta Senese Ragout. Pappardelle or penne pasta is perfect for enjoying it.

Cinta Senese has a more intense flavour than other cured meats, consequently, we would pair more structured wines such as Chianti Riserva, Chianti Classico Riserva, Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, or Brunello di Montalcino. But obviously, there is an infinite number of options.

Salame Toscano is a seasoned pork Tuscan salami made with spices, compact consistency, intense aroma, and flavour. The lean parts of the pig are used (ham, shoulder, neck); they are finely chopped and combined with the fat obtained from the dorsal part cut into cubes, then everything is mixed with salt, peppercorns, red wine, and garlic. The seasoning lasts from 20 days to 12 months, depending on its size.

I would choose a wine based on Sangiovese or other native Tuscan grapes, fresh and young. Good acidity will help decrease the palate nicely, leaving the desire for another slice of this magnificent salami. However, the spicy sensation of pepper could result more pronounced with a very alcoholic wine, so I would not exceed 13.5% alcohol by volume for this combination. If you opt for white wine, a Tuscan Trebbiano, a Vermentino, or a Vernaccia di San Gimignano will always be well paired, but here too, pay attention to the alcohol content.

Prosciutto Toscano PDO. Enriched with typical Tuscan spices: pepper, garlic, and other aromatic plants such as lentisk, myrtle, juniper, and others jealously kept secret and handed down from father to son over the centuries. During the trimming phase, the ham is given the typical V shape; this allows the ham to mature and absorb the natural aromas evenly.

Once cured, the ham is covered with black pepper, which gives it a distinctive and typical trait. In the past, this technique was used in the seasoning phase, avoiding the insects approaching the product. Thus, you will find on each piece the label with the trademark “Prosciutto Toscano DOP” and the fire branding as well.

I would also choose a wine with characteristics similar to those listed above.

Lardo di Colonnata IGP (PGI) is a very precious and well-known Tuscan salumi whose name derives from the homonymous village located on the Apuan Alps’ rugged slopes in the municipality of Carrara. It is produced with pork lard, aged in basins of precious Carrara marble, where it acquires in time its exclusive goodness.

The basins, previously rubbed with garlic, are preserved in rooms with controlled temperature and humidity. In the same basins, carved in marble and always used by the marble quarrymen for food preservation, the layers of pork lard, covered with salting, are laid.

The salting process depends on the producers, but in addition to sea salt, fresh minced garlic, rosemary, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground black pepper, and star anise cannot be missing. The whole tank is covered and reopened after a period ranging from six to ten months later, in any case when the seasoning is completed. During this period producer makes different careful periodic checks.

The salting process depends on the producers, but in addition to sea salt, fresh minced garlic, rosemary, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground black pepper and star anise cannot be missing. The whole marble tank is covered, and it is reopened after a period ranging from six to ten months later, in any case when the seasoning is completed. During this period producer makes different careful periodic checks.

The best pairing is with sparkling wines, possibly Traditional Method, complex, with long ageing on yeasts will be perfect.

Watch the video of Tooscans visiting Bottega di Adò, one of the most famous producers of Lardo di Colonnata. Click Here

Discover the selection of Tuscan Salami on Tooscans.

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