We’re always looking for new and different food and wine pairings… but wine and ice cream?!?
Yes! If the ice cream is an appropriately flavored gelato – and especially if it’s from La Casa Dolce in Tampa, Florida.
Most days, Tampa residents and visitors flock to La Casa Dolce for espresso, pastries, sandwiches, beer, wine, or gelato. They may have an espresso and a pastry, or a sandwich and a beer. But once a month, they come for wine and gelato… together.
A wine sales team conducts the monthly tastings, and what began as a one-time special event has evolved into a regularly-scheduled, much-anticipated part of La Casa Dolce’s schedule.
Not all of the pairings have worked extremely well, but some have been absolutely eye-opening. That’s a surprise, but it really shouldn’t be, considering gelato can be made in many flavors that mimic the flavors of wine.
A recent wine and gelato session featured several bottlings from Napa Valley’s acclaimed St. Supery winery. And these pairings worked wonderfully…
Double chocolate gelato with Merlot.
Stracciatella (a ricotta cheesecake flavor with chocolate chips added) gelato with Elu (a big Cabernet-based blend).
Pineapple gelato with Sauvignon Blanc.
Lemon sorbet with Virtu (a Semillon-based blend).
It’s enough to make one think differently… and creatively… about dessert.
To learn more about Tampa’s unique Italian dessert cafe, visit lacasadolcecafe.com.
