Summer is upon us and the grills are firing up and the company is coming over. Whether you are grilling a steak, pizza or chicken, I have 2 wines that will pair well with grill and company.
Cecchi is one of the oldest and most prominent wine producers in Tuscany. They have been around since 1893. They are a family-owned vineyard that got its start when Luigi Cecchi became a professional wine taster. He understood winemaking and the potential of making wine in Italy. The rest is history.
Today they are crafting wines that showcase the expressions of the family’s vineyards using innovation and sustainability practices.
In case you are wondering how to pronounce the name, it’s CHECK-EE.
The wines below I had with grilled pizza. The Storia di Famiglia we grilled a basic cheese pizza. The Riserva I went all out and made a pizza with red sauce, mozzarella and manchego cheese, chorizo (that I grilled first then sliced) topped with spinach and red onion tossed in olive oil. While the first pizza was a success (my husband the Italian made it) the second pizza was a fail. I couldn’t get it off the board because I didn’t put enough flour on it and it stuck to the board. So we made it a calzone, but we couldn’t flip it on the stone on the grill and the stone broke. We finished it in the oven and it was very good but didn’t look pretty (hence, no picture). The wine paired perfectly for both pizzas.
2019 Cecchi Chainti Classico Storia di Famiglia DOCG SRP $20
This wine is 90% Sangiovese and 10% other red varietals. The vineyards are with an elevation of 250 meters. The wine spent 12 months in wooden casks and two months in the bottle before released. Aromas of red raspberry, black cherry, a hint of rose petal lead to a palate with nice rounded tannins and notes of plum, red raspberry and dark spice on the finish.
2015 Chianti Classico Riserva di Famiglia DOCG SRP $32
This Chianti is 90$ Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.Ruby red in color with brickish undertones. Grown in estate vineyards that had an elevation of 250 meters. The wine spent 12 months in oak casks and three months in the bottle before release. Smooth and elegant with hints of earth, black raspberry, tannins dancing on your palate and lingering notes of cassis on the finish.
