wine match with pesto

[kaos]

Every year I grow a forrest of basil and pulverise the leaves with EVOO and freeze in small containers. It unfreezes pretty much as fresh and you then add all the other stuff for pesto. So we have it a lot through the year. But i have never really found an ideal wine match for it. I put some butter in my pesto (as per Marcella Hazan) which I reckon is a good touch. Chardonnay is a pretty good match but I'm not convinced that's the best I can do. I have a nebbiolo to go with it tonight (a bit random but i am willing to try these things)...

Anyone got any thoughts?

[burges]

A light red like Beaujolais might be worth a try.

[via collins]

Interesting question.

I reckon any wine with strong mineral presence goes well - chardonnay a definite goer, but agreed that a nice Beaujolais would make the grade.

I was in Genova last weekend, and ate more than one pesto Genovese, and they always have a local white to match up - a pignato perhaps, but the last match I had was a vermentino/viognier bland (90/10) which really made it sing.

And yes, whatever Marcella says is what we do at our place, the woman knows it all

[Waiters Friend]

Interesting question indeed.

I reckon a moderately oaked Marsanne might do it. A balance of nutty oak (moderate), and some acidity.

Or, an aged Hunter Semillon? Not too old, say 7 years?

Cheers

Allan

[Craig(NZ)]

Beer
Pesto is so overpowering

I wonder how Sauvignon Blanc would go though?

[Rossco]

Beer
Pesto is so overpowering

I wonder how Sauvignon Blanc would go though?

I was thinking something like the Te Koko?

[Thommo]

I'd go with a vermentino, a marsanne or a rousanne (or primo estate's colombard for that matter). Sav blanc can work, but it can also go horrible wrong if the aromatics end up clashing with the basil.

[sjw_11]

Beer
Pesto is so overpowering

I wonder how Sauvignon Blanc would go though?

I was thinking something like the Te Koko?

Yeah I think Te Koko could go well... slightly smoky, funky, leesy character rather than overpowering cats pee and canned asparagus..

But I also like the idea of an aged hunter semillon, blowsy chardonnay, juicy, soft fruited gamay or perhaps a tempranillo?

[Craig(NZ)]

I personally think pesto is over rated full stop. Over powers everything (food and drink)...but that is an aside

[n4sir]

I have to confess my first thought was Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc.

Years ago pesto is exactly what I would match it with - the basil/grassy elements and clean crispness of a Paracombe, Winter Creek or Grant Burge seemed to match up pretty well with a creamy pesto pasta with fresh lemon/lime juice, shaved aged Parmesan, capers and button mushrooms. Pinot Gris might be a similar match, cooler climate riesling too, probably the main thing to avoid is something over the top in phenolic/sweaty characters and too much residual sugar.

Cheers,
Ian

[daz]

Perhaps Pinot Grigio, presently tasting a cheap Italian import that wouldn't overpower pesto, perhaps complement it well.

[Cloth Ears]

We tend to have our home-made pesto with a reasonable red, generally an easy-drinking CabSauv, or a Merlot. We use home grown garlic, basil and smoked chili and we buy parmigiano-reggiano (and grate it just before using), the pine-nuts and olive oil. But it can be a bit over-powering, so having something with a bit of flavour tends to work well with this - unless we've overdone the chilli. Rather than freeze it, we tend to boil seal it in small jars and it keeps for months with no reduction in flavour.