Serves: 5
Choosing wine need not be complicated. The best way to discover wines that you like is to find a wine store with a large selection and a knowledgeable staff. Tell the staff what you plan to eat and ask for recommendations.
Probably the most important thing you can to do is keep a notebook, recording the wines you have tried, what you served them with, and how you liked them. It is all too easy to forget the name of a wine, no matter how much you liked it. Telling the sales clerk you want the red wine with the green label may or may not be helpful the next time you want to buy a bottle. Many high-quality stores keep computerized records of customers' purchases, and for this service they are worth patronizing.
Generally speaking, light- to medium-bodied wines go well with lighter foods, and richer, heavier dishes are complemented by more complex and more flavorful wines. White wines are usually the best choice with fish, while red wines go with meats. Dry wines are typically a better choice with savory foods, while sweet wines are best for dessert. But there are exceptions to these guidelines, so don't hesitate to experiment if you are so inclined. Your personal taste should be the deciding factor and is really all that matters.
The temperature of the wine is important. Icy cold can mask a white wine's flavor, while too high a temperature may make reds seem heavy and dull. White wine should be chilled to about 45°F, while reds are best at cool room temperature, about 65°F. Dessert wines that are not sparkling are usually drunk at about the same temperature as red wines, or slightly chilled, while both sweet and dry sparkling wines should be served cold, at about 45°F.
Many of the recipes in this book call for dry red or white wine. Wine that is dry is not sweet, though it may have pleasant floral or fruit flavors, depending on the type of grapes used and how they are vinified. Dry wines are often sold as table wines, because they are meant to accompany meals, as opposed to sweet or dessert wines, which are served after a meal.
Wine is often drunk with meals in Italian homes, and it is a simple matter to use some of the same wine for cooking. Wines are made in every region of Italy, and most Italians prefer to drink wines from their region on a day-to-day basis. While I would not use my finest aged wines for cooking, because their flavors may be too delicate--and because they may be very expensive--neither would I use a wine that I do not enjoy drinking. Any of the light- to medium-bodied table wines listed here would be ideal for cooking and drinking. Medium- to full-bodied wines are more flavorful and can be used in spicier, heartier preparations.
Marsala, a dark brownish red wine with a rich, nutlike flavor, is often used in cooking. Both dry and sweet varieties are available. Typically, sweet Marsala is used for desserts and dry for savory dishes, though I have sometimes substituted one for the other without any problem.
Below are some of the Italian wines that I enjoy from some of the country's most reliable producers. I have categorized these wines according to their body, or weight. Keep in mind that each producer has his or her own style and that many will have several styles of the same wine. Regional differences, vintage (the year the wine was made), and age will influence the wine too.
SPARKLING WINES
Serve at 45°F.
Serve dry sparkling wines before a meal with appetizers or throughout the meal. They should be served chilled.
Name: Prosecco
Region: Veneto
Producer: Nino Franco, Aneri, Capene Malvolti
Name: Spumante
Region: Trentino, Lombardy
Producer: Ferrari, Bellavista, Berlucchi, Ca' del Bosco
WHITE WINES
Serve at 45°F.
Light- to Medium-Bodied White Wines
Serve these wines as aperitifs instead of cocktails, or with delicate dishes such as scallops and other seafood and white fish.
Name: Albana di Romagna
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Producer: Fattoria Paradiso, Uberto Cesari Tre Monti
Name: Arneis
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Vietti, Bruno Giacosa, Ceretto
Name: Frascati
Region: Lazio
Producer: Fontana Candida, Villa Simone, Castel de Paolis
Name: Orvieto
Region: Umbria
Producer: Tenuta Le Velette, Bigi
Name: Pinot Bianco
Region: Trentino-Alto Adige
Producer: De Tarczal, Peter Zimmer, Josef Brigl
Name: Pinot Grigio
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Producer: Livio Felluga, Schiopetto, Vincentini Orgnani
Name: Verdicchio
Region: Le Marche
Producer: Gioacchino Garofoli, Filli Bucci, Fazi Battaglia
Medium- to Full-Bodied White Wines
Serve these wines with fish in rich butter or cream sauces, pasta with fish or vegetables, and goat cheeses.
Name: Fiano di Avellino
Region: Campania
Producer: Mastroberardino, Terra Dora di Paola, Cantina Caputo
Name: Gavi
Region: Piedmont
Producer: La Scolca, Banfi, La Zerba
Name: Greco di Tufo
Region: Campania
Producer: Feudi di San Gregorio, Mastroberardino, Cantina Caputo
Name: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Producer: Ascevi, St. Michael-Eppan, Puiatti Alto Adige
Name: Soave
Region: Veneto
Producer: Pieropan, Guerreri Rizzardi, Inama
Name: Tocai
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Producer: Mario Schiopetto, Ronco di Tassi, Venica & Venica
Name: Trebbiano
Region: Abruzzo Edoardo Valentini, Dino Illuminati, Gianni Masciarelli
Name: Vermentino
Region: Sardinia
Producer: Tenuta Sella & Mosca, Cantina di Dolianova, Antonio Argiolas
Name: Vernaccia
Region: Tuscany
Producer: Teruzzi & Puthod, Famiglia Cecchi
RED WINES
Serve at 65°F.
Light- to Medium-Bodied Red Wines
Serve these with chicken, veal, grilled beef, and some dark meaty fish like tuna or swordfish.
Name: Barbera
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Vietti, Carlo Benotto, Cascina Castlet
Name: Bardolino
Region: Veneto
Producer: Bolla
Name: Chianti
Region: Tuscany
Producer: Monsanto, Vitticio, Ruffino, Travignoli, Antinori, Buondonno
Name: Dolcetto
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Vietti, Poderi Marcarini, Renato Ratti
Name: Rubesco
Region: Umbria
Producer: Lungarotti
Name: Valpolicella
Region: Veneto
Producer: Allegrini, Masi, Bertani
Medium- to Full-Bodied Red Wines
These go well with stews and roasts, game, pork, and lamb.
Name: Aglianico del Vulture
Region: Basilicata
Producer: Paternoster, D'Angelo, Sasso
Name: Amarone
Region: Veneto
Producer: Tommasi, Masi, Allegrini
Name: Barbaresco
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Pio Cesare, Produttori del Barbaresco, Marchesi di Gresy
Name: Barolo
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Vietti, Borgogno, Poderi Marcarini, Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio
Name: Brunello
Region: Tuscany Castello Banfi, Castelgiocondo, Mastrojanni, Poggio Antico
Name: Carmignano
Region: Tuscany
Producer: Capezzano, Fattoria Ambra, Artimino
Name: Colle Picchioni
Region: Lazio
Producer: Paola di Mauro, Vigna del Vassallo
Name: Merlot
Region: Umbria, Sicily, Tuscany
Producer: Castello delle Regine, Planeta, Avigonesi
Name: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Region: Abruzzo
Producer: Edoardo Valentini, Dino Illuminati, Bruno, Nicodemi, Tenuta Cataldi Madonna
Name: Nero d'Avola
Region: Sicily
Producer: Morgante, Planeta, Benanti
Name: Primitivo di Manduria
Region: Puglia
Producer: Savese, Coppi, Cantina Sociale Locorotondo
Name: Salice Salentino
Region: Puglia
Producer: Agricole Vallone, Cosimo Taurino, Conti Zecca
Name: Sagrantino
Region: Umbria
Producer: Terre di Trinci, Rocco di Fabbri, Antonelli-San Marco
Name: Sangiovese
Region: Umbria, Tuscany,
Producer: Castello delle Regine, Carobbio, Fattoria Paradiso Emilia-Romagna
Name: Taurasi
Region: Campania
Producer: Mastroberardino, Feudi di San Gregorio, Terredora di Paolo
Name: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Region: Tuscany
Producer: Avignonesi, Salcheto, Poliziano, Tenuta Il Faggeto
DESSERT WINES
Sparkling Dessert Wines
These are low in alcohol and should be served well chilled, about 45°F. Serve with fruit, creamy desserts, or pastry.
Name: Asti Spumante
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Fontanafredda, Contratto, Cinzano
Name: Moscato d'Asti
Region: Piedmont
Producer: Vietti, Cascina Castlet, Santo Stefano
Rich Dessert Wines
Serve with biscotti, plain fruit and nut cakes, with cheese, or as dessert by themselves. Serve at 65°F.
Name Region Producer
Name: Marsala
Region: Sicily
Producer: Florio, Rallo, De Bartoli
Name: Picolit
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Producer: Livio Felluga, Furlan, Dorigo
Name: Vin Santo
Region: Tuscany, Umbria
Producer: Antinori, Lungarotti, Travignoli, Avignonesi
From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This 04- Italian Wines recipe is from the Cook'n in Italy Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
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