The tiramisu it is one of the most famous desserts in Italy and is widely distributed from the north and south. The original recipe includes a layer of ladyfingers, or other types of crumbly biscuits, soaked in coffee, covered with a cream made with mascarpone eggs and sugar (which in some cases can be "reinforced" with a little liqueur); the cream is finally dusted with powdered cocoa powder. Cocoa, mascarpone and, above all, coffee are ingredients that pose some problems when paired with wine.

Always sweet wines

The only certainty for the combination with tiramisu is that the wine must be sweet. If the creamy and fatty consistency of the mascarpone would suggest to accompany it with a bubble, it would be necessary to choose one with the right structure to withstand the persistent taste of the coffee. Moscato is often suggested, but it is too delicate, so it is better to move towards a red sparkling wine, like the Sangue di Giuda of Oltrepò Pavese. However, the most alcoholic wines, such as raisins, work best, especially those that are well matched with chocolate, such as a pink Moscato from Alto Adige, a Sagrantino Passito from Umbria, a Primitivo Passito pugliese or a Nero d'Avola Passito of Sicily. Another great ally to accompany tiramisu is Marsala (which can also be used as an ingredient to flavor mascarpone cream), while coming out of Italy it must be tried pairing with a French aged Maury.

Not just wine

Although it may seem strange to many, beer is also good with tiramisu. Just choose an Imperial Stout, a dark beer with an alcohol content of around 9-10% vol. It has velvety foam, almost creamy, and a flavor reminiscent of cocoa and vincaffè … Just like tiramisu. On the other hand … there is also the birramisù!