THE MEAT

from Pastoral Senior Buyer Cristi Menard

Producer: Cristiano Creminelli
Location: Utah
Name: Milano

The Milano salami is a relative newcomer to the line of Italian meats from Creminelli Fine Meats. It's mild though slightly tart and peppery flavor profile as well as fine grind of the fat and meat make it an ideal everyday salami. For those looking for a Genoa-style salami, the Milano is for them.

The Creminelli family has been making traditional Italian meats as far back as the 1600s. Their small family business is located in the town of Biella, located at the foothills of the Italian Alps. In 1990 Cristiano took over production at the salumeria and in 1996 began managing all aspects of the business. Slow Food recognized the artisan skill of Cristiano's work with an Artisinal Excellance award in 2006. That same year Cristiano committed himself to the idea of bringing the art of handmade Italian salami to the US and in 2007 began his first year of production.

Creminelli Fine Meats uses only natural and organic ingredients and heritage meats that are humanely raised and without antibiotics. They use a variety of vegetable extracts instead of artificial nitrates. And one last fun factoid: the Milano and Calabrese both are cured in a collagen casing which helps it maintain a consistent size and shape. The single format salamis use a beef casing.

THE WINE

from Pastoral Wine Buyer Mark Hayes

Producer: Mamete Prevostini
Name: Botonero
Grape: Nebbiolo
Region: Lombardi, Italy

Buy it online

Nebbiolo is the grape responsible for the wines from Barolo and Barbareso in Piedmont, Italy. These wines demand high dollar and are meant to be aged. Barbaresco is ready in 5-7 years, whereas Barolo is best 10-15 years and still shows life after 30 years! It is said Barbareso is drank while we wait for the Barolo to be ready. Well, Botonero is what we drink while we wait for the Barbaresco.

Roses and violets on the nose are the calling card of Nebbiolo. It's a light bodied wine with dried cherry flavors and juicy subtle acidity. Somewhere deep in the background is an earthy, almost graphite core.

The region of Lombardi neighbors Piedmont. Although a rather large area geographically, Lombardi doesn't produce the greatest wines in the world. Botonero is certainly an exception. With vineyards situated at the base of the alps, the specific vineyard site enjoys some of the cooling affects from Lake Como essential for building acidity in the Nebbiolo grape.

As with many of of our wines, cheese friendly is the goal. Two weeks ago we got to try the Jacky Janodet Beaujoulais. Think of this wine as similar body, but less juicy with a dryer finish. Its structure narrows its ability to pair with cheese in terms of Beaujolais, but also allows for some more focused pairing. Think Robiola or Fiore Sardo. Cheeses with a more pronounced salt profile.

THE PAIRING

from guest monger Colin Dalough

I feel a bit like a proud papa on this pairing. The credit should all go to the wine however, because it does a lot from the back seat to make this work. Texturally, there is a distinct juiciness with the Milano and Nebbiolo together. The acid in the wine seemed to lighten the body of the salami and allow me to pull the flavors apart without all the fat getting in the way. I get baking spices, nutmeg, and anise that I wasn't getting as strongly from the salami alone. Meanwhile, the meat itself is sweeter and juicier. But the flavor is not just louder, it's more nuanced. And that delightful complexity is all thanks to the wine. It doesn't disappear, it augments. What a wonderful take on the idea of pairing.

Happy Pairing everyone!

Cristi, Mark, and Colin