20 Jul Harmony Can Be Found at the Monthly Wine Dinners at Primo Italia Torrance

Food and wine pairing is like a good marriage. It is about balance, harmony and complimenting each other, although it is never perfect. At Primo Italia in Torrance, husband and wife team Lou and Grace Giovannetti share their passion for Italian food and wine offering monthly wine pairing dinners in one of their private rooms. Opened in 2016, Primo Italia is a collaboration and partnership. Lou is the restaurateur and Grace is the sommelier. They have created a restaurant that is warm and inviting and in a way, an invitation into their home. From their Campania and Sicilian roots, Primo Italia is an homage to Grace’s Italian family heritage with family photos that line the walls. And their wine dinners are an opportunity to share their passion for food and wine. Their most recent wine dinner was with Tenuta San Guido, as estate located in Maremma, a coastal region in Tuscany. Tenuta San Guido is the estate that produces the iconic Super-Tuscan Sassicaia, as well as other wines. Grace worked with chef Michelangelo Aliaga to design a rustic Tuscan menu to pair with the wines for a sold out dinner in their private Rocco room. Perhaps the pairing will be harmonious, perhaps it will be complimentary. Ultimately the goal is to find a balance between the food and the wine, just like in a marriage. 1st Course: Trippa all Fiorentina paired with the 2015 Salviano Orvieto Classico Superiore DOC (trebbiano, grechetto, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc) A crisp white wine with elegant aromas of ripe fruit and a soft mid-palate was a lovely pairing with the slow-cooked tripe with tomatoes. The spiciness of the tender tripe was mellowed by the wine showing how opposites can attract. 2nd Course: Pancotto Di Pesce paired with 2014 Le Difese Toscana IGT (70% cabernet sauvignon, 30% sangiovese) The thick fish stew made with old bread was delicious. The wine has aromas of black fruit, vanilla and spice and supple tannins. Both lovely on their own, together they were okay but nothing special. They did not balance each other or enhance each other and I would have preferred a white wine with this particular dish. Like a marriage, not every day is perfect. 3rd Course: Pici Pasta Con Ragu di Lepre paired with 2015 Guidalberto Toscana IGT (60% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot) The hand-rolled, fat spaghetti with a hare ragu made with red wine was rich and stood up to the full-bodied wine with notes of red fruit and spice and silky tannins. Here we see how balance can be found between two strong personalities. 4th Course: Filleto Di Cervo Con Fruitti Di Bosco paired with 2013 Sassicaia Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC (85% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc) The wine, with notes of red fruit, white pepper, sweet cedar and tobacco was matched with the forest berries cooked with the venison. This pairing was an example of harmony between the food and wine, where the food and the wine both shine. 5th Course: Torta Della Nonna Primo Italia selects distinct wines and captures different regions for their monthly dinners. Check out some of their upcoming dinners: Wednesday, September 13 ($90pp) featuring La Corti dei Farfensi Wednesday, October 11 ($90pp) featuring Frescobaldi Wednesday, November 8 ($90pp) featuring Northern Italy Tasting Primo Italia 24590 Hawthorne Blvd Torrance, CA 90505 (310) 378-4288