Autumn usually means the return of warm blankets and comfy clothes. This also applies to food! Hot soups, dried fruits, and seasonal vegetables are the main protagonists of many dinners around the world. As the leaves fall from the trees, why not indulge in those wonderful recipes with a good bottle of Carpineto wine?

The concept of comfort food is very important and it's becoming increasingly popular. It all derives from one thing: some foods have the power to make us feel better immediately, evoking a sense of well-being and, sometimes, even nostalgia. 

Comfort food is first of all subjective, associated with personal experiences and family rituals; on the other hand, there are scientific reasons why certain ingredients affect mood and well-being. 

Comfort food reflects culinary traditions, climate, and the availability of ingredients, and we believe autumn is the best time to experience this ritual. Dishes such as ribollita or pappardelle al ragù have accompanied the autumns in Tuscany for many generations, always paired with the wine that has made this beautiful land so famous. 

Ribollita is, in fact, a manifesto of sustainability ahead of its time, where black cabbage, the king of Tuscan autumn vegetables, is combined with cannellini beans, seasonal vegetables and stale bread in a dish that becomes richer every time it is reheated.

Pappardelle with ragù sauce evokes autumn, with its game and forests. Egg pasta is accompanied by a sauce that has been cooked for a long time, where the meat (wild boar, hare or duck) melts into a thick, fragrant condiment.

But Carpineto offers products that can enhance the flavours of recipes from all over the world. For example, we could take the case of Canada, another region of the world where autumn is synonymous with comfort recipes. 

A great example is Sheperd’s Pie: there are many versions of this dish, and the one in this country is made with ground beef and vegetables, while in Britain, it is usually made with lamb and is served with a soft mashed potato topping

To make an original Sheperd’s Pie, start by browning a chopped onion with a bit of oil, then add beef and cook it. After the beef is browned too, mix in chopped carrots and peas, seasoning with salt and pepper, a tablespoon of tomato paste, then add a bit of broth to help soften the mixture. Finally, cook the mixture until the vegetables are tender. 

Fill a baking dish with the mixture, then add a thick layer of potato mash with butter and milk to the top. Smooth the top and create peaks with a fork. For the last step, cook it in the oven at 390°F until the peaks become golden brown. Serve with a green salad on the side to make the dish complete.

Another good candidate could be a tasty pumpkin soup: this pumpkin soup is a creamy dream, as it adds pumpkin, onions, and potatoes with just a little nutmeg to create a perfectly sweet and savory flavor that is absolutely delicious for a nice meal on a cool day. 

In short, butter should be melted in a medium pot over medium-high heat, then oil and onions should be added and sautéed until the onions become translucent. 

The broth should be poured in and brought to a very light simmer, then the pot should be taken off the heat and pumpkin purée should be stirred in. It should be blended with an immersion blender until it is smooth, then heavy cream should be added and it should be put back on the stove. 

It should be allowed to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes while being stirred occasionally until it slightly thickens. The soup should be seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg according to the taste. 

It should be eaten hot, with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds, if you like, with another pinch of nutmeg.

For rich and spicy dishes, try our Farnito Cabernet Sauvignon IGT 2019, coming from the high-density vineyards of Gaville (Florence) and Chianciano/Montepulciano (Siena). 

The grapes have been chosen based on their outstanding suitability for the production of great quality wines. It is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The fermentation is done separately for each origin, the maceration lasts 10-15 days and the temperature is controlled between 25 and 29 °C (77-84 °F). 

After malolactic fermentation, the wine is blended and matured for a long time in small oak barrels, and then for a further period in the bottle.

It presents itself with a red ruby color with a little orange. The nose is very intense and complex and reveals the presence of spices, licorice, vanilla, and morello cherry. 

The flavor is powerful, rich, and long-lasting, with a great structure and refinement. It is a wine that would give its best at 68°F (20°C), and if decanted, its harmony and depth would be further enhanced.

If you prefer a more balanced pairing with soups and vegetables, try Dogajolo Toscano Bianco IGT 2024, this white wine comes from a zoning study of the Chianciano estate where the most suitable soils for selected white grapes were identified. 

The used varieties are Chardonnay, Grechetto, and Sauvignon Blanc. Once harvested, grapes are destemmed, cooled, and allowed to macerate for a short time with the skins. 

The juice is separated from the solids by pressing, decanted and fermented at a controlled temperature. The wine is then filtered and kept at low temperatures, without chemical clarification or stabilization treatments, in order to maintain its fruity characters.

It presents a straw yellow color with greenish reflections and pleasantly fruity and delicate aromas. The taste is dry; the wine has a good body and the right amount of acidity with a velvety finish, like a gentle caress.