Wine and Slow Smoke at Cantina Il Poggio
Wine and Slow Smoke at Cantina Il Poggio
Do you know who was a great lover of cigars? Sigmund Freud, who managed to smoke 20 of them a day. He worked rigorously from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and he called the cigar his only ‘voluntary addiction.’
Since Freud’s time, the world of cigars has evolved significantly, gathering more aficionados, to the point where we now have specialized experts in pairing cigars with wines, spirits, and sweets.
One of them is Marco Tonelli, the first Italian Habanos sommelier, who says:
“Forget spirits. Wines are better because they refresh the palate thanks to their serving temperature. But they also stimulate salivation due to their acidity level.” He also recommends various types of labels (based on the wine category).
In the past, renowned sommeliers like Marco Starace have held masterclasses focused on cigar and wine pairings, stating that the best match is sparkling wines (Champagne or Italian Metodo Classico). He also tells us, “Cigars mature and change over time like wines, and it’s fun to calibrate pairings considering this. The goal is to take some time for yourself.”
At Cantina Il Poggio, we have a great passion for wine (yes, of course 🤣). We’re also enthusiasts about food. Lastly, we have a wooden box hidden in the tasting room, ready to amaze cigar smokers.
After the success of the event at the winery in October, in collaboration with our friends from “Sigaro Toscano”, it’s time to tell you about this oenological pairing, which doesn’t involve gourmet dishes but a slow and impactful smoke.
We’ve been collaborating with Sigaro Toscano for two years now, and people eagerly book for the event each time: the art of cigars and wine is a moment that belongs to the past, when city gentlemen returned home, went to their study room, and, while sitting in a comfortable leather armchair, would light a cigar for a moment of pure tranquility and peace.
A very romantic and 19th-century scene, which also involved the appearance of some fine spirits. But let’s get a bit more specific and find out how Sigaro Toscano started and the possible pairings we can create with Cantina Il Poggio wines.
The story of how Sigaro Toscano became a world leader in the industry
In Florence, in the year 1815, on a day in August, a severe flood inundated the entire city, including the Sigaro Toscano factory. The tobacco, which got soaked, began to ferment due to the subsequent heat and the high humidity in the air, releasing a strong ammonia smell. The factory director, terrified by the idea that Grand Duke Ferdinand III would never forgive him, decided to use it anyway to fill cigars and sell them at a cut-rate price. As soon as the Florentine put that cigar in his mouth, enthusiasm spread throughout the city. It was an immediate success, and the people named it ‘Toscano.’
As always, random mistakes or certain events that may seem disastrous at the time can change an entrepreneur’s fortunes and lay the foundations for true success stories.
Cigar-Wine Pairing
Do you know the figure of the Wine&Cigar expert? If you don’t, don’t worry, don’t feel like a “boomer” 🤣, it’s definitely a niche market. The wine&cigar expert emerged in 2007 and is responsible for studying the right pairings between wine, spirits, and cigars.
Fabrizio Franchi is the first representative of this new category and gives an interview to Wine News, saying, “Finally, this figure has emerged in Italy; it was needed. Thanks to “Sigaro Toscano”, which has given us the opportunity to pair tobacco with wine.”
In an interview with Giuseppe Danielli, Fabrizio declares, “A path rich in numerous analogies between the Toscano and wine makes us understand the close resemblance between these two products, for the importance of climate, the human factor, the preparation and care of the raw material, production, and preservation, all aspects that influence and determine the taste of both…”
And Sigaro Toscano itself, made with Kentucky tobacco, ferments and matures for months, evolving in flavor and intensity.
Pairings of Sigaro Toscano and Cantina Il Poggio wines
We have selected some wines from Cantina Il Poggio that pair well with “Sigaro Toscano’s” range of products.
Gelasio 2022 and Pensiero 2021, for white wines; Falstaff and Poggio (vintages 2017, 2018) for reds. All four share a common characteristic of a gentle tannin (essential in wine-cigar pairing), and in the case of Poggio 2017, it is extremely velvety and enveloping.
This November, do you want to pamper yourself with a good bottle and your favorite cigar? Contact us, and we will make sure you have an experience that will make you feel, as Freud said, “out of this world”.