Wine and Food

Cognoscenti will tell you that the ultimate in fonduta con tartufi (cheese fondue with white truffles) is made around Alba in Piedmont and served with a local Dolcetto. Sicily's rare pasta con le sarde (with sardines and wild fennel) is at its best around Messina matched with a white from Etna.

For zampone sausage with lentils it's Modena and a dry Lambrusco di Sorbara; for risi e bisi (rice and peas) it's Venice and a Tocai from Friuli; for trenette noodles with pesto it's Genoa and a rare white Lumassina; for ossobuco (braised veal shank) and risotto milanese it's Milan and a Barbera from Oltrepò Pavese; for tagliatelle noodles and meat ragù it's Bologna and a hearty red Sangiovese di Romagna; for bistecca alla fiorentina with white beans it's Florence and a robust Chianti Classico. And, of course, for pizza napoletana it's Naples and a vivacious white Asprinio from Aversa.

A typical Italian meal may range through three to five dishes, sometimes more. But let's consider the fundamental courses of antipasti (appetizers or openers), primo (pasta, risotto or soup) and secondo (main courses, usually meat, poultry or fish) with some further suggestions for vegetables, cheeses, fruit and desserts. Here are some matches of foods and wines that complement each other. Still, despite what you might have heard about obligatory pairing of local dishes with local wines, the food of Italy is usually admirably adaptable. So, naturally enough, are the wines. Experiments with other combinations are only to be encouraged.