Hunter’s Style Chicken and Cantina di Filippo #ItalianFWT
Italian Food Wine & Travel Does Comfort Food February
Our Italian Food, Wine and Travel group is highlighting our favorite wintertime comfort foods: braised meats and stews. We typically think of beef or pork for these dishes. Do we think of chicken, why not? Chicken can figure into delicious slow cooked meals with the best red meats. Today, I decided to travel (virtually) back to Umbria for hunter’s chicken and a couple wines from Cantina di Filippo in Montefalco.
Cantina di Filippo
In early 2019, I attended Anteprima Sagrantino on a press trip, and what an experience! One of my favorite visits was with Roberto at Cantina di Filippo. Roberto farms his organic certified vineyards with horses for the heavy work, chickens in lieu of pesticides and geese as his weed control. I covered my visit and interview with Roberto in this post back in 2019.
Cantina di Filippo “Farandola” Trebbiano Spoletino IGT Umbria 2017 (Purchased in Montefalco, online here in Europe)
Eye: Medium amber
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of orange rind, dried apricots, dried peaches, cinnamon, sage
Mouth: Dry, medium acidity, full body with a rich texture, medium alcohol, medium plus intensity and a long finish of dried orange rind.
Observations: Although not fermented on the skins, I think the grapes had a period of pre-fermentation skin contact for all that color, flavor and almost a red-wine texture.
Trebbiano Spoletino must not be confused with Trebbiano Toscano, aka Ugni Blanc. Trebbiano Spoletino is unrelated to the other unremarkable Trebbiano, and it produces wines which are fuller bodied, more aromatic and worthy of aging. An additional note is that Trebbiano Spoletino has drawn winemakers’ interest in Umbria resulting in a range of wines from traditional white wines to examples fermented on their skins, and even amphora aged versions. Lots to explore!
Cantina di Filippo Montefalco Rosso DOC 2016 (purchased in Montefalco, available online here $17) 13.5% abv
Sangiovese 60%, Barbera 30%, Sagrantino 10% Montefalco Rosso is intended as a more approachable Montefalco wine compared to the very tannic Montefalco Sagrantino. With Sangiovese as the backbone, one might expect it to be the dominant character in the wine. Surprisingly, the Sagrantino cannot hide, even when it is only 10-15% of the wine. It adds dark fruits and body to the wine.
Eye: Medium ruby
Nose: Medium intensity aromas of ripe blueberries, blackberries, black plum, after being open a while, craberries emerged as well. Rosemary, thyme, and leather.
Mouth: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium plus sandy tannins, medium plus body, medium alcohol, medium intensity flavors, medium plus finish.
Observations: So interesting! Immediately on opening, the Sagrantino blue and black fruit was clearly standing in front. However, given some time, cranberries emerged, clearly an element of Sangiovese taking the stage.
This chicken braise is full of bright flavors – lemons, green olives, rosemary, sage and capers, with a little red pepper kick.
Hunter’s Style Chicken with Cantina di Filippo Wines
We enjoyed both wines with the dish as a regional pairing. The bright lemon, green olive and herbs would also have been excellent with a Trebbiano Spoletino made in the more typical no-skin contact, direct press method which results in brighter, fresh flavors, or Grechetto, also from Umbria.
This recipe comes from “Umbria – Regional Recipes from the Heartland of Italy” by Julia Della Croce. It’s out of print, but used copies are available. I’ve made lots of recipes from this cookbook, and I highly recommend it. Chicken is a low fat meat, so braised versions don’t require hours and go from ingredients to table faster than you might expect. When making this again, I would double the ingredients listed below except the chicken. The sauce and toppings are so delicious, what appears to be a recipe for four, in fact feeds two at least as the sauce is concerned. Here’s what I did: Ingredients InstructionsHunter's Style Chicken
Braised Meats and Stews with the Italian Food, Wine & Travel Bloggers
Take a look below at all the great ideas for a cold winter evening, you’re sure to find something intriguing. Why not join our chat on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 10-11am Eastern Time. We chat on Twitter at #ItalianFWT. We hope to see you there!
Here’s what the bloggers are sharing for the theme…
- An Afternoon at Castelgiocondo by Somm’s Table
- Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce +2012 Produttori del Barbaresco by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
- Braised Brisket with Donnachiara’s Kapemort Aglianico by Vino Travels
- Braised Pork Ragù over Pasta + Bruna Grimaldi Nebbiolo d’Alba 2017 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Chianti Beef Stew by Our Good Life
- Dolcettto d’Alba: A Food-Friendly Bet for Braised Chicken by My Full Wine Glass
- Farina Amarone della Valpolicella with Ground Pork in Karela Rings by Chinese Food & Wine Pairings
- Home Cooking with Sabrina Tedeschi and the Wines of Agricola Tedeschi by Grape Experiences
- Hunter’s Style Chicken and Cantina di Filippo by FoodWineClick!
- Pasta e Ceci with Chianti Classico from astellina by The Swirling Dervish
- Pasta with Pork Braised in Red Wine with Tasca d’Almerita Lamuri Nero d’Avola 2018 by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- The Most Tender Short Ribs You’ll Ever Have, Perfectly Paired With Red Wines From Abruzzo by The Wine Chef
- Warming Up Winter with Braised Oxtail and Casa Bottega Ripasso Superiore by The Quirky Cork
- What’s the Difference? 3 Organic Montepulciano: Vino Nobile,d’Abruzzo, and Molise Paired with Ragu by Wine Predator
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This dish is stunning! It sounds as if it was beautiful with the wines. The Trebbiano Spolentino is a variety I am unfamiliar with. I look forward to exploring this variety and giving this dish a try!
Thanks Robin. Trebbiano Spoletino is fun with all the different ways it’s being made into wine!
I do not have that cookbook and am on the hunt now. And your wines, as always, have piqued my interest. Thanks for joining the fun this month. Cin cin.
thanks, Camilla!
I love the regional pairing Jeff. And you’re right, I don’t often think of chicken when it comes to braising, but given my (relatively ) healthy life style, I should. Thanks for the introduction to Trebbiano Spoletino. It seems as if it has more than a few “unremarkable” cousins!
Thanks, Martin. Trebbiano Spoletino is very interesting, unfortunate choice of names!
I’ve not heard before of Trebbiano Spoletino but it sounds like quite a grape! I wonder what it would be like were it to be fermented on the skins if it gives those kinds of flavors with the suspected pre-fermentation skin contact?
Winemakers in Montefalco are trying every different fermentation you can imagine. I’ve had straight “normal” versions all the way to months on the skins amphora wines. All good!
Looks tasty, Jeff. Both the dish and the wine — can’t wait to try that recipe!
Thanks Lisa!
Sounds like an amazing dinner and pairing. My husband is not an olive lover….I wonder if the recipe will be just as good sans olives….only one way to find out.
Thanks Wendy. I think it will be good, even without the olives. There’s still the lemon, rosemary and capers!
Chicken, lemons and green olives are definitely my jam! Not too familiar with Umbrian wines, but looks like I need to be. Also, I love the idea of letting animals do the vineyard work.
Thanks Linda. Cantina di Filippo was really inspiring!
That dish looks delicious! I’m sure your palette was on overload for the Anteprima Sagrantino. 😃
Thanks, Jennifer. Yes, Anteprima Sagrantino was intense!
I’m so intrigued by the wines – never tasted a Trebbiano Spoletano but it sounds complex and rather robust, always fun in a white wine. And so interesting that the red includes Barbera; is much grown in Umbria? Needless to say the pairing looks delish . . .
Thanks Lauren. Trebbiano Spoletino is definitely worth seeking out. I think Barbera is grown as a blending grape in Montefalco, nice to have something to soften that Sagrantino.
This looks so delicious! And I have to say I love the labels as well. Thanks for sharing these wines.
Thanks Nicole!
This pairing looks perfect!
Love the labels — and the care to the planet involved with what’s inside the bottles! This is a dish I bet my spouse will love, and I bet I’d love it with an orange Wine!