HOW CAN I MARRY ITALIAN WINES WITH ITALIAN FOOD?

[marifer6000]

I WORK IN AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT. THEY HAVE WINES LIKE CAVERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT, CHARDONNAY, SAVIGNON BLANC, PINOT NOIR, PINOT GRIGIO AND CHIANTI WINES. THEY HAVE PASTAS, PIZZAS, AND APPETIZERS WITH VERY CREAMY ITALIAN CHEESES. I WANT TO MAKE SUGESTIONS FOR THE CUSTOMERS. PLEASE HELP ME OUT!! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!!!!!!

[Thomas]

WITHOUT KNOWING YOUR MENU, HOW CAN ANYONE HELP YOU OUT? ALSO, DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF WINES FROM ITALY ON YOUR LIST.

Ah, with all the hard to read upper case lettering, I missed the brief list of foods. Your list of pasta, pizza, etc. speaks to relatively generic food, which likely can take relatively generic wines. If I were you, I'd go with WOW's recommendations and get a couple of easy to follow books on the subject.



[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 04-10-2008).]

[wondersofwine]

Marifer,
For quick answers you might go to this site:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/foodwine/
For example, if you click on pasta it will make several suggestions taking into account whether the pasta has a Southern Italy tangy red tomato sauce or a cream sauce or a seafood sauce without tomatoes. Pairings with veal depend on treatment (light scaloppini or heavier osso bucco style), etc.
For the longer term, you need to do some homework with a book like Andrea Immer's "Great Wines Made Simple" or "Great Tastes Made Simple" or "Everyday Dining with Wine." All three titles will be informative about pairing food and wine.

[DS]

If it grows together, is goes well together; try matching wines from the same region as the food you are serving. For example bistecca alla fiorentina (and most Tuscan food) goes well with Chianti or Rosso di Montalcino. For Pizza or simple pasta@with tomato sauce, I like drinking an inexpensive Montepulciano de Abruzzo.

[Innkeeper]

FROM WHAT YOU MENTIONED THE PINOT GRIGIO AND CHIANTI WILL MATCH WITH JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE MENU. THE OTHER WINES THOUGH SOMETIMES PRODUCED IN ITALY, ARE REALLY NOT ITALIAN WINES.

[Thomas]

WHAT DID YOU SAY, IK?

How are you?

[TheEngineer]

Welcome onboard DS! Are you a Tokyo native or are you an expat? There is quite the wine scene in Toyko!

[DS]

Thanks TheEngineer! I'm an expat, I have been in Tokyo for 3 years now. The wine scene in Tokyo is excellent, you can truly find anything from anyplace here, also there are many tasting events going on every weekend. And contrary to popular belief prices are quite competitive with other countries.

[TheEngineer]

It's been a few years since I've been there but use to go a bit more frequently. I remember the small local wine store chain (I think called Yamaya or something like that but the big budgets went to Millesimes
or Ebisu's Taillevent. But you are right, especially older vintages are very competitive in price, sometimes cheaper than in label sensitive Hong Kong.