Wijn en Spijs: Dutch Street Food Meets Italian Wine

From Borrel to Aperitivo

Summer evenings in the Netherlands introduced me once again to the borrel: drinks with friends, borrelhapjes to share and a lively atmosphere, whether beside a canal or at a beach bar.

It reminded me of the Italian aperitivo. They are different traditions, but they share something essential: good food, something to drink and the pleasure of being together.

Beer and cocktails may be the obvious choices for a Dutch borrel. But why not wine?

Bitterballen & Valpolicella Ripasso

Of all the Dutch snacks, bitterballen may be the ultimate borrelhapje.

The best I had on this trip were freshly prepared at a beach bar: crisp outside, wonderfully creamy inside and served with mustard. I was so hungry I almost burnt my fingers when one burst open in my hand. They were worth it. My pairing is Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso DOC, a combination I first discovered by chance several years ago.

Bitterballen are rich and creamy, while Ripasso has the freshness and structure to refresh the palate after each bite. Its fruit and spicy character work beautifully with their savoury flavours. I personally prefer the bitterballen without mustard when drinking wine, to keep the flavours cleaner.

Serve Ripasso at around 17-18°C (63-64°F). In summer, especially outdoors, use a wine cooler rather than an ice bucket to keep the temperature stable without over-chilling the wine.

Next time you order bitterballen, give the beer a night off and try them with Ripasso.

PAIRING:
Bitterballen x Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso DOC SERVE AT 17-18°C

Kibbeling & Custoza Riserva Sexaginta

At the beach in Katwijk aan Zee, I ordered kibbeling with fries: intensely flavoured fish in a generous crispy coating, accompanied by a creamy herb sauce. The sauce brought everything together - skip it and, in my opinion, you’ve only had half the experience.

There was just one thing missing: a glass of Custoza Riserva Sexaginta DOC. Why such a complex white with street food? Because this wasn’t a delicate dish. The fried coating, fish and creamy sauce needed a wine with both freshness and structure.

Sexaginta has the freshness to balance the fried food, while its greater complexity and subtle notes from vinification in wood add another dimension to the pairing. Why should simple food always require a simple wine? Serve Sexaginta at around 12°C (54°F).

PAIRING:
Kibbeling x Custoza Riserva Sexaginta DOC SERVE AT 12°C

Nachos by the North Sea & Lugana

Not everything I ate in the Netherlands was traditionally Dutch. One Friday, my daughter and I stopped at a beach bar in Katwijk aan Zee. I ordered what I thought would be a small plate of nachos before dinner. Instead, a generous plate of freshly made nachos arrived with three homemade sauces: guacamole, yoghurt and tomato - almost the colours of the Italian flag.

I was drinking Verdejo, but immediately thought of our Lugana DOC. Its floral, citrusy and fruity character, together with its freshness and savoury profile, makes it particularly suited to informal food.

The sauces soften the saltiness of the nachos, while Lugana refreshes the palate without overpowering them. We already enjoy Lugana around Lake Garda with everything from pizza to casual bar food. Why not nachos by the North Sea?

Serve it at around 10-12°C (50-54°F), or slightly cooler on a very hot summer day.

PAIRING:
Nachos x Lugana DOC SERVE AT 10-12°C

Stroopwafel & Cà del Magro: The Surprise

I have known stroopwafels for years, and a trip to the Netherlands hardly feels complete without them. This time I bought some at the Saturday market in Leiden and brought them back to Italy. Sweet, chewy and sticky, with caramel, toasted waffle and spicy sensations, they seem to call naturally for a dessert wine. Too easy.

Once back at Monte del Frà, I tried something completely different: Custoza Superiore Cà del Magro, a dry white wine. And this was the pairing that surprised me most.

Cà del Magro has enough structure to stand beside the stroopwafel, while its freshness leaves the palate clean and dry after its sweet, sticky texture. Its exotic aromatic character also works surprisingly well with the biscuit’s spicy notes. Neither dominates the other. They simply seem to complete each other.

Serve Cà del Magro at around 12°C (54°F). A sweet wine with stroopwafel is easy to imagine. A dry Custoza Superiore isn’t - until you try it.

PAIRING:
Stroopwafel x Custoza Superiore Cà del Magro SERVE AT 12°C

Wijn en Spijs: Don’t Be Afraid to Break the Rules

My Dutch holiday reminded me that sometimes we take food and wine pairing too seriously. Wine has never belonged only to formal dinners. It can be opened on a terrace with friends, with pizza, fried food or whatever happens to be on the table. That’s what I like about the connection between Dutch borrel and Italian aperitivo: different traditions built around the same simple idea - conviviality, food and the pleasure of sharing a drink.

If you want to start experimenting, try the Lugana pairing first. Then become a little more adventurous. And the next time you order bitterballen, perhaps don’t automatically order a beer.

Want to continue the experiment in Italy? Come and discover the wines of Monte del Frà at our winery near Lake Garda.

Discover our wine tastings