Returning somewhat more on topic, I recently had an email conversation about wine recommendations that might be of interest to others as well, so I will build from it; the basic question was, "what sort of wine do you recommend for us po-folk?"

To which I said, The idea that a great wine must be expensive is simple myth. Though some of the really expensive wines are great, many are just driven by hype. I had proof of this a while back when I went to dinner with the manager of a wine shop in New Jersey, and a Chianti & cheese producer. We began with a simple red wine from the Maremma that had a wonderfully fruity bouquet, beautiful balance, and rich smooth fruit on the palate as well; I wish I remember what it was called because it went perfectly with the antipasto and the ravioli.

Since the second course was more substantial we moved up, ordering a 1995 Supertuscan that one of the top Italian wine publications awarded its highest rating, saying, "… Awesome, it has and intense extremely fruity bouquet with amarena cherries, blackcurrants, blackberries, underpinned by elegant vanilla. But it's on the palate that it gives its best: Soft, concentrated, persistent, with rounded tannins wrapped in a silky, velvety body. For once the word exceptional means just that." Well, the wine was big, with lots of fruit and vanilla on the nose, and it was full on the palate, but it just wasn't pleasant to drink -- there was something disjointed about it, and rather than compliment our foods it tried to overcome them. So we ordered another bottle, this time a 93 Pergole Torte from Montevertine. By comparison the Pergole Torte was a much smaller, less brash wine; more importantly it had something the Supertuscan completely lacked: Finesse, and an ability to bring out the best of the foods. At the end of the meal it was gone, while the glasses with the Supertuscan were still half full.

"Pergole Torte is expensive," some might object. True, but so was the Supertuscan, and given the choice between it and the inexpensive Maremman wine we all preferred the latter. The Supertuscan was a critic's darling, a wine that will stand out at a blind tasting of 50 wines, because it's that much larger, more concentrated, more extracted, and more whatever than the others. However, the qualities that help it get the top awards can also help it to clash with the foods it's served with. Pergole Torte was considered Italy's best wine by many until quite recently, but now no longer wins in these competitions, probably because it continues to be made the way it was in 1985, and its finesse and elegance are now completely overshadowed by the young bucks strutting about. The proof is in the dining, however, and come mealtime it's the wine with finesse that people want more of, not the critic's darling.

As for what kind of wine to serve (the second part of the question), it's not that cut-and-dried. Wine for what? Wine is meant to accompany foods, and the wine that will go perfectly with a steak could well seem harsh and tannic with fried chicken, which begs something light and zesty, with a fair amount of acidity to clear the palate. That light zesty wine, on the other hand, will probably seem thin with the steak. It's a question of balance.

"Something for an everyday red, as well as something for a very special occasion. Both red and white?" This is a difficult question to answer because I don't know what's available where you live, nor how much it costs. My standard everyday red wine is Chianti Classico d'Annata, the non-riserva Chianti, which I drive out into the country and buy (which winery varies on whim and the direction I happen to be going), whereas my standard whites are either Vernaccia di San Gimignano or Vermentino dei Colli di Luni -- the former because I visit friends who make it (at Montenidoli) and the latter because I like the wine and it's made not far from where my in-laws have a summer home on the coast. Were I somewhere else my answers would be different.

If you are in the US, what I suggest you do is purchase a copy of Mary Ewing Mulligan and Ed McCarthy's Wine Buying Companion for Dummies (IDG books), which reviews more than 500 wines in all price categories; they do give point scores, but also give good descriptions that include food pairing suggestions -- which is what really matters in my opinion. A great wine is a wine that compliments what it's served with, creating a sum that's greater than the parts. It's not necessarily something expensive.

A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine

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