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Food and wine pairings by Stevie Kim and Attilio Scienza.

Today we are at Yama Sushi with Mattia Rizzi, a representative of Generation Z, and our Professor Attilio Scienza, ready to order an all you can eat menu to pair with some glasses of wine: before we begin, however, let's find out how sushi originated.

 

Sushi was born as a method of preserving fish, Attilio explains, created by Japanese fishermen. While in the Mediterranean, oil, salt, or drying were used to preserve fish, in the Land of the Rising Sun, these preservation methods did not exist: instead, they used to place the catch under rice, which allowed for a slow dehydration of the product and simultaneously created a complete and ready-to-eat food, sushi to be precise.

 

What has been the most unique place you've eaten sushi, Attilio?

Once, I was taken to a small place in Tokyo, hidden within a subway station. I believe only four or five people could fit in, but despite being so small, it had reservations up to two years in advance! I sat in front of the preparation counter, as is tradition, and enjoyed some incredibly good fish.

 

But I think it's time to try the freshly arrived hosomaki, along with a wine that has acidity and aromatic notes: on the table we have "Amore" from Barberani, as well as some good Vermentino from the L’Airone winery. Or the classic, excellent Prosecco!

 

On the plate, we have sushi with salmon, sea bass, and avocado: do we need to open another bottle for these foods?

I would go for a lighter wine, like the Grillo from Mandrarossa 2020. With the nigiri, I would suggest a Schiava, the Quintessenz Classico Superiore by Kaltern: they pair perfectly! Again, for dishes with a more delicate flavor, the rule is to look for a similarly light wine, like the Orvieto Classico Superiore "Luigi e Giovanna" from the Barberani winery.

 

The best lesson so far from this tasting experience is that the great culture of Japanese sushi unexpectedly pairs wonderfully with the great Italian wine culture.

 

With the salmon, we also sought a pairing with Moscato. In general, how do you choose the wine when the flavor of the fish is very strong?

You can go for a quality sparkling wine, like Champagne. However, with the dishes we have in front of us now, I would like a glass of Criseo from Guado al Melo: a bold choice to balance the flavors. Every type of sushi has its own structure, there is no truly universal wine to pair with all dishes – you have to choose each time what to drink to enhance the preparation you are about to taste. We are lucky to have such a wide selection of labels at this moment; playing with flavors and pairings is a joy for the palate.

 

Certainly, white wines dominate the pairings, but we also opened a red and a rosé. Seven wines in total (plus the prosecco), which we summarize below for the readers.

  • Schiava: recommended for salmon dishes, or with truffle.
  • Moscato: appreciated in contrasting the strong flavor of fish.
  • Sangiovese: great for cleansing the palate and preparing it for the next course. It is acidic, vertical, and pairs well with simpler pieces.
  • Grillo: perfect for pairing with aromatic sushi, thanks to the thiols almost reminiscent of northern wine that it possesses.
  • Orvieto: perhaps the most versatile wine among all, suitable for practically every course in this case.
  • Vermentino: Vermentino also cleanses the palate with its fragrance, offering an aromatic contribution to the tasting.
  • Criseo: excellent to pair with sushi featuring shrimp or scampi.

 

And that’s all for today! This journey to the East has allowed us to enjoy a true sensory experience, which we recommend you try to replicate – perhaps in the company of the best wines from the selection we presented, like Quintessenz and "Luigi e Giovanna." Thank you for following us and... See you next time!

Stevie Kim - autoreStevie Kim

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