Pair It Up! BENCH 1775 Wines + Free Shipping

I’m filing this post from sunny Barolo in Northern Italy, where I’ve been immersed in the Collisioni Festival. A dish I’ve always had a soft spot for at home that hails from this region is a simple plating of cheese ravioli with butter and sage. It’s at once rich and decadent, yet simple and elegant – the richness of the cheese and creamy, buttery angle is lifted by the herbal freshness of fresh sage.

While here in Barolo the dish pairs well along side wines made from area grape varieties like Nebbiolo or Arneis, I couldn’t help but think many homegrown British Columbia wines would easily suit as a pairing.

Looking on the site here at My Wine Canada, you may have noticed that Naramata’s BENCH 1775 Winery is offering an awesome deal of free shipping if you order a minimum of six wines from ‘em, and you can mix and match your selections, too! Well, let’s take advantage of the opportunity with my recommendation of a handful of their wines that’d jive well with this pasta.

BENCH 1775 2015 Glow Rosé ($23) A lovely pink composed of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah & Cabernet Franc that’ll slurp up all of the saltiness the pasta may carry.

BENCH 1775 2015 Pinot Gris ($23) also has a splash of Gewurztraminer in it, so while the apples, pears and richer citrus character of the wine will carry the weight of the dish, that Gewurztraminer offers a kiss of tropical fruit and a light sage-y character that hits the spot.

BENCH 1775 2015 Viognier ($28.75) is perfect if you’re looking for a bigger white. Orange blossom on the nose leads to honeyed stone-fruit like peaches, nectarines and apricots on the palate, all of it singing with buoyant acidity.

BENCH 1775 2013 Pinot Noir ($28.75) is mineral-driven with a nice roundness with darker berry fruit like black cherries, blueberries and blackberries with a good smattering of herbs.

Mario Batali has a quick ‘n easy recipe for butter and sage sauce that you can combine with store-bought cheese ravioli, and you can throw it all together in 12 minutes. If you want a version that’s not quite as rich, over at Epicurious there’s a version that’s made with sweet potato-filled ravioli.