Perfect match
Spaghetti puttanesca is a simple dish made from tomatoes, black olives, anchovies, garlic and chilli - oh, and pasta, of course. The tomatoes and olives give the dish its base notes, the anchovies add savoury character and the garlic and chilli lengthen the flavour combination. It can be as spicy as the cook wants to make it. The wines recommended below are for a mildly spicy version, and the best ones for the dish need good fruit, decent acidity and limited residual sugars and length rather than being too strong.
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2006, Marlborough, New Zealand
Cloudy Bay wines have a wonderful way of retaining the natural New Zealand acidity that makes them so perfect with Asian dishes, and two pair deliciously with spaghetti puttanesca. This pinot noir is filled with soft berry fruit and loads of subtle grape notes. The most outstanding feature of the wine is its tasty crispness. It's the perfect match with the pasta dish because the dark, savoury flavours are extended by the wine's berry richness. The acidity is much needed to support and expand the taste of the anchovies, garlic and chilli. The supporting oak in the wine is almost completely absorbed by the tomato and black olive base notes.
Available for HK$330 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888)
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2006, Marlborough, New Zealand
The weather in Marlborough is cool, which means the grapes ripen slowly over a long period, giving them time to develop a wonderful fruitiness that is subtle and enticing. This Cloudy Bay chardonnay is elegant and flavourful, not at all like the fatty, buttery style characteristic of California and Australia. The wine has many subtle notes but is led by fruit, which is crucial in the pairing with spaghetti puttanesca. The wine's lean elegance pierces the deep flavour notes. The crisp and lively acidity leaves the mouth fresh and slightly diminishes the warmth of the spaghetti's chilli.
Available for HK$320 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888)
Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2005, Alsace, France
Of all the mutant varieties in the pinot family, pinot blanc is perhaps the most schizophrenic. It has a hint of its rounded cousin, chardonnay, and some of its spicy brother, pinot gris. This pinot blanc is not too heavy or too light, and it's just right with spaghetti puttanesca. The wine's roundness gives a smooth surface for the highs and lows of the dish. Its acidity makes the chilli and other flavours longer than if they were left alone. The wine is oakless (of course) and the pure fruit sits happily next to the chilli and deeply flavoured anchovies. Don't serve the wine too cold or the round texture will disappear and the combinations will seem hollow.
Available for HK$95 from Fine Vintage (tel: 2896 6108)
