Finding the right drink to accompany dishes is one of the most interesting aspects in the preparation of lunches and dinners for the holidays. Not just wine, but also speciality coffees, teas and infusions.

For Nicola Bonera, a member of the Italian Sommelier association and voted best sommelier in Italy in 2010, the sparkling wine for the holidays can only be Franciacorta. "A typical Italian story of the ability to combine history with innovation". Vine growing was brought to Franciacorta by the Benedictines in 1200, but it was only from the ‘50s of the last century, thanks to the intuition of several entrepreneurs and winemakers, reinterpreting the French methods in an Italian style, that a super-high quality effervescence was created. "Today it is one of only 10 sparkling denominations, with sparkling wine, cava and a few others, which enjoys maximum European protection. For something more quirky, though, I would suggest Moscato di Scanzo, an ideal wine for ‘meditation’. As a red raisin, it goes really well with red fruit tarts, almond, or even chocolate-based desserts, or well matured cheeses”.

We will also continue to see this healthy trend during the whole of 2021 with beverages, said the food British blogger and TUTTOFOOD Ambassador Molly Sears-Piccavey. "Organic wine will grow a lot, also thanks to the packaging which may not appeal to the purists, but is innovative, such as cartons and cans. In hot drinks, studies showing that artificial fibre packages can release particles will lead to growing proposals for teas and infusions in 100% natural packaging. Rum is one of the spirits that is on the up, also perceived as a spirit with a short label of natural ingredients".

From wine to coffee to dessert

An original way to enjoy coffee is as a dessert. In addition to recipes, such as the classic tiramisù, also as a stand-alone spreadable cream. There are many coffee-flavour spreadable creams, but the American company Nudge proposes the first real coffee spread in the world, containing 40 mg of caffeine, neither too much nor too little, to give the day a boost in an unusual and tasty way. The cream promises a flavour that is five times more intense than a traditional coffee. The flavours? Roasts of Italian, Brazilian and Colombian origin.

The other great coffee trend comes from the East and in particular Japan, as Italian-Japanese food blogger, Sara Waka points out. "Not everyone in the West knows this, but from American coffee to iced coffee, from cans to filtrates, the Japanese are a people of real coffee lovers. What makes the difference is the philosophy of consumption.  A typically Japanese philosophy of simplicity, where coffee becomes the moment of pleasure that can give meaning to the entire day. In this sense, ‘% Arabica’, a chain of coffee shops where you can taste different flavours, savour the most varied blends and buy coffee beans from the ‘% Arabica’ factory in Hawaii has become an authentic cultural phenomenon".