Cuore Italiano

Part 5: If you’re a fan of Som Tam… this might be the perfect wine pairing for you 🌶🥗🍷

Som Tam is one of the hardest Thai dishes to pair with wine.

Why?
Because in one plate you have:
• lime acidity
• chili heat
• fish sauce
• sugar
• garlic
• dried shrimp

Too heavy = the wine overwhelms the dish.
Too soft = the spice kills the wine.

So for this pairing, we chose:
✨ Marta Passerina IGP, Sangiovanni (Marche)

Fresh, citrusy, light-bodied, and incredibly drinkable.

The bright acidity follows the lime perfectly, while the clean finish refreshes the palate after every spicy bite.

BUT… here’s the twist 👀

We also tested something unexpected:
🍯 Dindarello by Maculan — a sweet Moscato wine.

And surprisingly?
With Som Tam… it actually worked.

The sweetness softens the chili, while the floral and tropical aromas match the herbs beautifully.

So maybe the rule is this:
👉 If it’s spicy and fresh, sweet wine can work.
👉 If it’s salty and seafood-heavy, better keep it dry.

Which team are you on?
🍋 Fresh & dry or 🍯 Sweet & aromatic

Vignalta - Colli Euganei 🌋

Some of the most interesting wines come from the quietest places.
Like Colli Euganei — volcanic hills that rise near Padua.

The soils here are rocky, poor, unforgiving.
And that’s exactly the point.
Because when vines struggle, they produce character.

But what really changed this region? The people.

Long before it was trendy, pioneers like Giuseppe Gomiero (and later Vignalta) believed these hills could produce serious wines.
So they did something unexpected — they brought in Bordeaux grapes.
Not to copy France, but to express this place in a different way.

And it worked.

Warm, protected climate + volcanic soils = wines with depth, structure, and identity.

This isn’t about following tradition.
It’s about rewriting it.

Part 2: Meet Passerina 🍋🌿

Our second wine for the prawn pairing:
✨ Marta Passerina IGP, Sangiovanni (Marche)

From central Italy near the Adriatic Sea, Passerina is all about freshness and vibrancy.

No oak, no heaviness — just pure, clean expression:
• lemon & grapefruit
• white flowers
• light herbal notes
• sometimes a hint of tropical fruit

Think: somewhere between Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

Fun fact 🐦
“Passerina” comes from passero (sparrow) — birds love these grapes and were said to know exactly when they were perfectly ripe.

Why it works:
Compared to Lugana, Passerina is:
• lighter
• more citrus-driven
• extra refreshing

It lifts the lime, complements the herbs, and cleans the palate after garlic & chili.

So… which pairing wins? 👇
• Lugana → more mineral, seafood-focused
• Passerina → fresher, brighter, more versatile

Both work — just depends on your style.

Which would you choose? 🍷