Wine

Italy and France regularly vie for the title of world’s leading wine producer. They also lead everyone else in wine consumption. France has a justly earned reputation for producing extraordinary wines. Though they are less well known, the great Italian reds such as Barolo, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Amarone are among the best wines produced anywhere, and they usually cost less than their French cousins. More importantly, perhaps, Italy produces dozens of inexpensive yet wonderful wines for daily consumption. Many of these are available to wine lovers in North America. It is great fun to sample these wines and select your vino da tavola for regular drinking. My daily red comes from the Valtellina; my white is usually Orvieto or Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Pick your own. Most of the recipes in this book include suggestions for suitable wines to accompany them. As a rule, try to drink a wine native to the region where the dish originates. For example, a Roman eating Spaghetti alla Carbonara would drink his local Frascati or Marino white rather than a Piedmontese Gavi, a Tuscan Galestro, or a Sicilian Corvo. You should do the same. What follows is a regional listing of wines you might try. Most of them are available in better wine stores.