These days, a real ritual is coming to an end that involves thousands of wineries from north to south of Italy and just as many enthusiasts: the grape harvest. In Italy there are more than 500 varieties of wine grapes whose harvesting, which can be mechanical or manual, in the case of finest wines, takes place between July and October, depending on when grapes reach the desired ripeness degree.
Whether red or white, Gorgonzola Pdo is better combined with wines characterised by a certain softness and savouriness, personality and freshness wines capable of supporting the aromatic profile of this cheese. However, to evaluate the best pairing, one can take into account both types of Gorgonzola, the sweet and the spicy.
With sweet Gorgonzola Pdo cheese, very suitable are dessert wines, produced from grapes harvested in the so-called late harvesting season, with a high sugar content. This is perhaps one of the least known, but most appreciated pairings. A Moscato raisin wine or a fortified wine like Marsala Vergine, for example, offer good fluidity on the palate and balance the sweet sensations very well, offering a finish of dried fruit and spices that effectively contrasts the intense flavour of Gorgonzola Pdo.
It is also excellent to be paired with musty wines, i.e., wines made from grapes attached to a Noble Rot, to which they owe their high sugar content sugars and typical aroma. Among white wines, Riesling, Pinot Bianco, Orvieto Classico, Frascati Sup., dry Malvasia, Gavi are excellent; among rosé wines, Chiaretto del Garda, Lagrein Kretzer.
Finally, with spicy Gorgonzola Pdo, it is advisable to pair it with aged red wines of good complexity and structure such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Carema, Gattinara, Ghemme, Chianti Classico Riserva, Recioto, Amarone or Cabernet.
