As the temperature in Shanghai fall, I increasingly desire hearty and flavorful dishes accompanied by robust, rustic wines. It’s somewhat ironic that the region of Campania in southern Italy that doesn’t experience very cold weather has some great winter dishes and wines. Best of all you can experience delicious Campanian foods and wines here in Shanghai at Bella Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria. Owner Guido Esposito is from a small town in Campania and the restaurant reflects his friendly and inviting character. Walking through the garden patio as you enter Bella Napoli has a calming effect that benefits your appetite. The unpretentious, warm décor of the restaurant provides a soothing sense of warmth as you embark on your winter meal.
Before getting into specific wine and dish recommendations, I wish to emphasize the importance of regional wines and cooking. The best Italian wines and dishes are not just Italian; in fact, they reflect the characteristics of a specific region. When reviewing or commenting on wines, especially wines from the old world where vines have been cultivated for thousands of years, we commonly use the word typicity. This describes wines that have the colors, aromas, tastes and textures that reflect a certain place as well as reflect the special characteristics of the grape or grapes. In Italy, as in other European wine countries, it is not enough for a wine to just be good, the wine should reflect its region and heritage. This concept is often frowned on in the new world, but it has merit. It’s no accident that the wines and dishes of Campania harmoniously accompany each other. Over many centuries as the style of wines or dishes of this region changed, they evolved together in a complementary manner. When you don’t know what wine to pair with a specific Italian dish, choosing a wine from the same region as the dish is usually the best way to get a good result.
My favorite red wines from Campania are made with the aglianico variety that’s indigenous to southern Italy, in particular, Campania and Basilicata. With a history dating to the 7th century BC, this is one of Italy’s oldest varieties. The grape tends to make concentrated and tannic wines with good acidity. These qualities make the wines perfect companions to hearty pasta and meat dishes.
Light appetizers like the octopus salad or veal in tuna sauce enjoyed with a glass of Prosecco are ideal ways to start your meal at Bella Napoli, but the two dishes that make this restaurant the perfect winter retreat are the Rustic Homemade Pasta with Sausage, Bacon and Tomato Sauce and the Beef Stew with Polenta.
The pasta dish is a creation of Guido using homemade thick pasta that has a wonderful chewy texture with just the right level of al dente bite. But it’s the sauce comprised of garlic, sausage, bacon and cherry tomatoes that makes this pasta dish truly memorable. The small cherry tomatoes contribute freshness to the sauce while the sausage and bacon provide substance with the bacon also adding an intriguing smoking nature. When paired with the Terre di Surrupaca Aglianico DOC that’s on the wine list, you’ll enjoy a quintessential Campanian experience. The deep black fruit and spice flavors of this 100% aglianico wine standup to the strong meat flavors of the sauce while the notes of slightly smoky oak in the finish of the wine blend beautifully with the smokiness of the bacon.
The Beef Stew with Polenta is a new addition to the menu. In southern Italy, traditionally peasants would buy the cheaper leftover meat from the butcher that tended to be more fatty and tougher. They would stew the meat to make it more tender and palatable. Guido keeps to the traditions of this dish but uses a higher quality beef tenderloin cut that is cubed and stewed for over an hour with carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes and garlic. In another delicious departure from tradition, Guido serves this dish with rectangular-shaped grilled polenta cakes that help balance the strong flavors of the meat and sauce. Made from corn powder, polenta is a northern Italian food. Crucial to this dish is the liberal use of aglianico wine that as it reduces blends with the vegetables to create a weighty, rich and savory sauce. It’s exactly this richness and savory quality that begs for an equally rich and substantial red wine like the Terre di Surrupaca Rosso Classico DOC. This predominantly aglianico wine spends two years in large Slavonian oak that imparts additional complexity and roundness to the wine that mimics similar qualities in the sauce. Now that we can find robust and body-warming wines and dishes from Campania right in Shanghai, there’s no reason to fear the winter.
