MATCHING FOOD WITH WINE 

The matching of food with wine is very personal, but there are some conventions.

The wines for pasta dishes change according to the sauce, so a meat sauce calls for fullbodied reads with a good structure (for example Barbera d'Alba, Chianti classico).

A seafood one wants a dry white (i.e.Gavi, Riesling)

A mushrooms sauce goes with Rosè or light red, for example Bardolino, Chiaretto).

The same guidelines apply to rice dishes and risotto and the wine will be chosen in accordance with the sauce;

therefore a seafood risotto will be perfect with a dry with wine.

Soups with legumes such ad beans and lentils are served with young reds such as the Rosso Montepulciano.

Steamed or raw fish and shellfish requires dry white wines are preferred (for example Trentino Chardonnay, Vermentino di Sardegna)

oily fish like anchovies and sardines require full-bodied whites (for example Soave Classico Superiore, Vernaccia di San Gimignano).

To summerize:

- red meat and game, are perfectly matched with great full-bodied reds (i.e. Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino),

- grills or beef-steaks, pork chop or lamb cutlets want full-bodied reds such as the Chianti Classico.
white meat and poultry are good with light reds (for example Valpolicella Classico).

To match cheese with wine is not easy: so soft cheese is commonly served with dry flavoured whites, while hard or spicy cheese goes better with full reds with structure.

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