If you’ve ever spent any time in Venice, you’ve probably spent some time in a bacaro (BAH-kah-roh) or cicchetteria (chee-keht-teh-REE-ah).
The nearly interchangeable terms refer to the classic Venetian wine bar where small plates are served — a favorite way for Venetians to dine.
No one really knows where the word bacaro comes from. Some people believe it might be derived from Bacchus (Bacco in Italian).
The term cicchetteria comes from the Venetian dialectal word cicheti (sing. cicheto) meaning small plates (or small bites or snacks), from the French chiqueter meaning to chop or mince.
In Venice, the number-one wine you’ll find in a bacaro or cicchetteria is Prosecco DOCG.
We’ve written before about how Prosecco is the ultimate seafood wine.
It’s part of the reason why Prosecco DOCG is the (semi-)official wine of Venice.
But when it comes to small plates, there could be no better wine to pour.
Small plates tend to be on the saltier side (like those anchovies above) and Prosecco, with its freshness and mineral flavor, is an ideal match because it mirror the flavors of small plates.
Prosecco always has restrained alcohol content and that’s perfect when you’re eating a lot of different kinds of salty foods.
And aside from a charbroiled steak, Prosecco goes great with nearly anything, making it a wonderful wine to share with friends in a small plates restaurant.
The next time you visit your favorite small plates restaurant, try a bottle of Villa Sandi Prosecco DOCG for the pairing. You’ll thank us!
CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013
CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. N. 1308/2013