Nobody wakes up craving cabbage. But in my family, a simple head of cabbage holds one of my most cherished childhood memories.

Quick answer

Pour a bright Italian Barbera with Golubchiki (stuffed cabbage rolls). I reach for Traversa's 2021 Barbera d'Alba. Its juicy cherry, savory hint of balsamic and zesty freshness cut right through the sweet-and-sour tomato sauce.

Growing up, my Babushka had a magical way of turning the humblest ingredients into masterpieces. But there was one dish she reserved for a very specific, seemingly random day in the autumn: her Golubchiki. Stuffed cabbage rolls.

I remember the smell taking over the entire house. It was this rich, intoxicating aroma of tomatoes, sugar, a splash of sharp vinegar, and savory meat simmering away on a small flame. But as a kid, I didn't understand why she was making it on that specific day. It wasn't a birthday. It wasn't a secular holiday. And back then, in our world, Jewish holidays weren't exactly something you broadcast loudly.

It turns out, Babushka was sending us a secret message.

Years later, I finally learned that this mysterious, special day was actually Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday I didn't even know existed when I was little. Simchat Torah is the joyous day we celebrate finishing the entire yearly cycle of reading the Torah. When we reach the very end of the scroll, what do we do? We immediately roll it all the way back to the beginning to start again.

And that was Babushka's secret. She couldn't march in the streets with a Torah scroll. So instead, she stood quietly in her kitchen, taking softened cabbage leaves and carefully, tightly rolling them around a rich stuffing of meat and rice.

She was rolling the Torah.

Every little cabbage roll tucked into her bubbling pot was her quiet, secretive, beautiful way of keeping our traditions alive. She wrapped up our heritage and fed it to us in a sweet-and-sour sauce.

Today, I don't have to keep it a secret anymore. I make Golubchiki loudly and proudly. It's an absolute centerpiece on my table for Simchat Torah, but honestly, it's too good to eat only once a year. Now I make it throughout the year for Shabbat. Every single time that sweet and tangy sauce hits the stove, I'm right back in my Babushka's kitchen.

If you want to make it, the secret is all in the sauce and the simmer. Take a softened cabbage leaf, stuff it with savory meat and semi-cooked rice, and roll it tight, just like a scroll. Drop it into a sauce made of crushed tomatoes, a little sugar, a splash of vinegar, and rich stock. Let it simmer on a small flame for an hour, until it becomes the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth comfort food.

Steel bowl of chopped white vegetables and grated carrot, small bowls of seasonings, and a bottle of apple cider vinegar by the stove
Close-up of a bottle of Tuscanini Passata Rustica crushed tomatoes in Anne's hand
A steel bowl of rolled cabbage rolls, pale green leaves wrapped tight, carried to the stove
Five raw cabbage rolls set side by side in tomato sauce in a red enameled Dutch oven on a gas stove
Build the sauce, roll them tight, and into the pot they go.

I love honoring my grandmother's kitchen. But I also passed WSET Level 3, the advanced exam wine professionals take, with Merit, and I'm now a WSET Diploma candidate. Which means I have to give this beautiful childhood memory the gourmet upgrade it deserves.

A heavy, rich, sweet-and-sour dish like this demands the perfect wine. My secret weapon? A glass of Traversa Barbera d'Alba.

This gorgeous Italian red bursts with juicy cherry and a savory, mouth-watering hint of balsamic. That bright, zesty freshness cuts right through the heavy tomato sauce and wakes up your whole palate. It's an incredibly elegant pairing for a delightfully rustic dish.

Barbera being poured into a large red-wine glass, with a terracotta bowl of herb-topped stuffed cabbage rolls in front
First pour, with a bowl of Golubchiki standing by.

What Wine Goes with Golubchiki?

The pairing

Babushka's Golubchiki&Traversa Barbera d'Alba Burdinota

Bright, zesty freshness cuts right through the rich sweet-and-sour tomato sauce.

Bottle of Traversa Barbera d'Alba Burdinota 2021, front label, beside an empty wine glass

Tasting notes

2021 · Barbera d'Alba · Piedmont, Italy · 13.5% ABV

Taste
Bursts with juicy cherry, then a savory, mouth-watering hint of balsamic and a bright, zesty freshness
Pairs with
Heavy, rich, sweet-and-sour dishes like Golubchiki: the freshness cuts right through the tomato sauce and wakes up your whole palate
Verdict
An incredibly elegant pairing for a delightfully rustic dish
The grape
Barbera, Piedmont's everyday red, is known for naturally high acidity (that mouth-watering zing) and soft tannins, which is why it loves a tomato sauce
  • Aciditymouth-watering freshnessFresh

Watch the reel

Overhead view of browned stuffed cabbage rolls in tomato sauce, scattered with chopped herbs, in a red Dutch oven on the stove

Watch the full reel on Instagram @oyveyrose.

In the kitchen

Close-up of browned stuffed cabbage rolls in tomato sauce, scattered with chopped fresh herbs

How to Make Golubchiki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

  • Cook about 1 hr
  • Meat

Ingredients

  • 1 large head green cabbage
  • 1½ lbs ground meat
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup semi-cooked rice
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 28 oz Tuscanini crushed tomatoes (Passata Rustica) or tomato sauce
  • 1 to 2 tbsp sugar, to taste
  • 1 to 2 tbsp white vinegar, to taste
  • 1 cup rich stock

Method

  1. Soften the cabbage. Cut out the core and place the whole cabbage in boiling water. As the leaves soften, gently peel them off with tongs.
  2. Make the filling. Mix the meat, onion, carrot, garlic, semi-cooked rice, salt and pepper.
  3. Roll. Trim the thick vein from each cabbage leaf. Add the filling, fold in the sides and roll tightly, like a little scroll.
  4. Make the sauce. Combine the crushed tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, stock, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust until you get that sweet and sour balance.
  5. Cook. Layer the cabbage rolls tightly in a pot or baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour, or bake covered until tender.

More from my holiday table: what the sukkah taught me about the true heart of Sukkot, plus another sweet-and-sour favorite: pomegranate meatballs with Syrah.

So, tell your guests they're just eating their vegetables. Pour a gorgeous glass of wine, unroll a piece of my childhood, and celebrate.