There are some combinations that shouldn’t be meddled with. To accompany Andreas Caminada’s panforte, wine expert Britta Wiegelmann stays with its traditional partner: Vin Santo.
It has a taste of Christmas! Panforte, baked according to Andreas Caminada’s recipe here, is a dense, dark cake made of nuts, candied fruits and spices. It originates from the Tuscan city of Siena and the wine traditionally drunk with it also comes from Tuscany: Vin Santo, a dessert wine made from dried grapes. And because some pairings are simply perfect, I don’t want to come between panforte and Vin Santo. But I do have one tip: dessert wines are often drunk when they are much too young. In reality, they are some of the most long-lasting wines. Because sugar has a preserving effect (on the wine, not the wine drinker), as does the alcohol content which is more than 15 percent. And as they age, dessert wines gain complexity, swap fruit for depth, develop a bouquet of dried fruits – as though made to go with the aromas of panforte.