From the moment my reservations were made, time crawled excruciatingly slow. There was nothing I wanted more than to cozy up inside Penns Woods Winery‘s quaint tasting room, with views of rolling vineyards just beyond the closest window, and sample my way through a top notch pasta and wine pairing. When Saturday, November 16 finally arrived, the weather paraded around with more summer tendencies than usual for a mid-November day but my belly still possessed an intense craving for comfort foods at their finest. Thankfully, Penns Woods Winery’s Wine & Gourmet Pasta Pairings with Talluto’s Authentic Italian Food exceeded every one of my appetite’s expectations, from the tongue’s need for a smooth first sip to my belly’s demand for a delicious fill.
Traminette 2012 & Goot Essa Alpen Kase
The first course brought my tastebuds to life and prepped them for the flavorful journey to come. The wine, although it carried some complex characteristics, was easy to drink. A perfect touch of sweetness from the honey and citrus smells married nicely with the local cheese, which carried sharp, nutty undertones. The crisp, local cracker with oversized salt sprinkles rounded off each of my bites and left me yearning for more.
Penns Woods Chardonnay Reserve 2011 & Pumpkin Tortelloni
With years of homemade pasta eating under my belt I’m not the easiest to please when it comes to “authentic” offerings. My opinions are biased, of course, but still there are very few places that I will actually dine at for an Italian meal. However, I’ve never had a pasta serving so sensationally delicious as Talluto’s pumpkin tortelloni with an orange zest bechamel. The hint of citrus from the orange zest was tastefully refreshing, especially as a balance to the rich and creamy sauce, plus it was a perfect highlight to citrus notes in the wine, too. I found myself closing my eyes with each bite and squeezing my mouth tightly together so every ounce of flavor could be enjoyed and nothing would escape.
Penns Woods White Merlot 2012 & Butternut Squash Ravioli
A rich and savory, classic fall dish, the butternut squash ravioli melted in my mouth, leaving lingering notes of fall from the sage and chestnut flavors in the sauce. Paired with a dry—but refreshing—rose, the crisp fruity flare in each sip of wine was a perfect counterbalance to the full-flavored cuisine. While I’m not often a rose fan, this particular sip boasted full red flavors without the overbearing body and was the best sip I could imagine to have opposite of such a savory serving.
Penns Woods Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 & Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Gnocchi is always a go-to of mine when sampling Italian cuisine out on the town and I was eager to dive into Talluto’s offering, especially since it was prepared in a toasted pecan butter sauce and it strayed from the traditional gnocchi to include the seasonal sweet potato. A fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon can also be included in a few of my favorite Italian staples, which made this final full course an incredible one. While gnocchi tends to be on the filling side and it was even served as the final course, thus I had two pastas, crackers, cheese and wine already in my belly, I probably could have eaten a dish like that for days.
Spiced Mulled Wine & Classic Biscotti
Already a fan of Penns Woods Winery’s Spiced Mulled Wine, I knew the final course would be a delightful roundoff to the pasta pairings and I happily accepted the espresso that followed, too! Both provided a nice warm coat around my stomach, as to seal in all the amazing flavors consumed just moments ago. I even recommend letting your biscotti take a dip in the spice mulled wine and don’t forget to purchase your favorites from the pairing to enjoy at home. Cheers!
