Red Wines

	Light-bodied, fruity, soft red, little or no wood	Medium-bodied, concentrated red, some wood	Full-bodied, rich, tannic red, usually with oak
	Grilled meats, rich pastas, carpaccio, ossobuco, lamb and caramelized peppers.	Grilled chicken, pasta in spicy tomato sauce, small game birds, grilled veal, and mushroom dishes.	Spicy pastas, red meats, grilled steak, braised hare and game.
	Perfumed, fresh, extremely quaffable wines versatile enough to pair with fish.	Soft in tannins, these wines accept a variety of food pairings; best when drunk between one and five years from vintage.	Fleshy, meaty, large-scaled wines meant to age and develop in time; better balance of freshness and complexity when young.
	Marchesi di Barolo, Maraia 1999. Vibrant plum and sour cherry flavors in this varietal Barbera from the historic Piedmontese estate dedicated to Giulia Falletti, true godmother of Barolo. Not a very complex or big wine, but instead a fresh, versatile one that would do justice to a wide range of food pairings.	Galli & Broccatelli, Montefalco 1998. From an estate established in the 18th century as a partnership of friends comes this stunningly ripe and fine Montefalco wine, a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 25% Sagrantino di Montefalco and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A modern wine with ancient flavors, this Montefalco is an ideal companion for grilled meats, stews, and hearty pasta courses.	Settesoli, Nero d'Avola 1999. The sunny flavors of Nero d'Avola, a Sicilian treasure often masked by an excess of vanilla-laden oak notes. For all these reasons, let's welcome this undemanding, spicy and fruity varietal Nero d'Avola from Settesoli, the giant of Sicilian wine. Try it with a rack of lamb slowly cooked in the oven and served with an olive oil, rosemary and garlic dressing.
	Battistotti, Marzemino 2000. A family affair, the Battistotti winery is co-run by three brothers under the supervision of Battistotti Sr. Their varietal Marzemino Gentile is a purple-red vibrant wine with a distinctive nose of mountain flowers, black cherry and spice that leads to a lively and supple palate, with little tannins and plenty of flavor. A serious candidate for fun dinner parties, this is a classic Italian wine.	Villa Vistarenni, Chianti Classico 1999. After the powerful 1997 and the much lighter 1998, 1999 is a year for medium-bodied and perfumed Chianti Classico. Villa Vistarenni's release offers scents of hibiscus and strawberry, well-defined, clean fruit flavors (plum, strawberry) and a traditionally high level of acidity. Finally, a Chianti Classico to enjoy now with simple meals and tomato-based sauces.	Cesari, Amarone 1997. Amarone for $20? It can be done, according to Gerardo Cesari, who supplies 170,000 bottles of this classic Veneto wine to most wine stores and Italian restaurants in North America. Fresh, sweet cherry fruit, low acidity, fine tannins and a pleasantly clean finish are all you should ask for here, as this wine was simply meant to be drunk, not to be cellared.
	Sandrone, Dolcetto d'Alba 2000. Luciano Sandrone is a legendary name in the elitist world of Barolo, releasing highly sought-after single-vineyard Nebbiolo wines. Still, he produces more Dolcetto than any other wine, and channels that passion and effort in the making of this wine, which is among the best expressions of this classic Piedmontese grape variety. So concentrated, broad, and complex that you wouldn't believe it is just Dolcetto.	Dal Forno, Amarone della Valpolicella 2000. Romano Dal Forno's Valpolicella is one of the best Amarones on the market today. Fresh on the palate, with hints of licorice and mint, this is a wine of rarefied finesse. A blend of Corvinone (60%), Rondinella (30%) and Croatina grapes, aged in new barriques for two years and in bottles for an additional year. With production at 5,000 bottles per year, this wine is a highly sought-after trophy.	Dino Torti, Pinot Nero “Affinato in Barriques 1997. The Oltrepò Pavese is a wine region in southwestern Lombardy with 3,000 years of history. Dino Torti and his family produce a versatile range of fine wines here. Their Pinot Nero is supple and complex, with an elegant nose of cherry and fresh leather, a finely knit texture and a lingering finish that recalls the wines of southern Burgundy, rounded out by the sun of Italy.

White Wines

	Light white	Medium Bodied, fruity white	Full-bodied, complex white, some wood
	Light dishes with rich flavor; seafood, antipasti, simple pastas.	Seafood, frittatas, white meats, lighter truffle dishes.	Grilled fish, flavorful pastas, lemon chicken, white meats.
	Refreshing acidity, pure fruit flavors, clean, crisp finish, no evident oak.	Most versatile whites; rich in texture, complex in flavor.	More powerful, fleshy wines with less pronounced aromatic profile and fruit flavors, suitable for aging.
	Lageder, Pinot Grigio 2000. Alois Lageder is among the most admired Italian winemakers in the world. His wines are a triumph of vividly precise fruit flavors, impeccable acidity levels and pure aromatic profiles. This classy Pinot Grigio, perfumed but dry and very well-balanced, will give you a taste of his style, and steal the show on many dinner tables.	Sartarelli, Tralivio 2000. Get ready to embrace serious Verdicchio: Donatella and Patrizio Sartarelli make some of Italy’s best white wines with this underrated grape variety. Tralivio is produced with selected Verdicchio grapes from the oldest property vineyards; it offers a delicate nose of white plum and pineapple, brisk acidity, and a very satisfying (and quite long) dry finish.	Cantina Val Del Prete, Arneis 2000. This single-vineyard, varietal Arneis is a magnificent project of Roagna's as two consecutive vintages of extra-ripe fruit has forced him to fine-tune its vinification. Half of the 2000 Arneis is fermented in new barrels, which helps complexity and texture, and the other half is fermented in tanks to retain clean aromas, excellent acidity and a vibrant finish.
	Bolognani, Müller-Thurgau 2000. Diego Bolognani could (some say he should) care more for the commercially successful varieties he vinifies at his immaculate winery in Lavis, near Trent. Still, there is nothing he likes more than crafting a virtually perfect 100% Müller-Thurgau wine that smells like a bouquet of fresh flowers and tastes like a walk in the countryside on a spring day.	Montenidoli, Templare IGT 2000. Elisabetta Fagiuoli produces wines that are endowed with a rare sense of place: the robust flavors of Vernaccia and Sangiovese are enhanced by sound vinification practices. The last fruit of her efforts is this blend of Vernaccia, Trebbiano and Malvasia that offers a flowery nose, a crisp and powerful palate and a very long, clean, memorable finish.	Caprai, Grecante Grechetto dei Colli Martani 1999. Caprai keeps stunning the wine world with his extraordinary red Sagrantino and Sangiovese wines. The flowery and nutty qualities of the grape here take center stage. If you always thought Grechetto was only a blending grape or a nostalgic tribute to the Orvieto wines of yesteryear, drink again.
	Venica & Venica, Ronco delle Mele 1999. The venerable estate of Venica & Venica (est. 1930) has recently undergone major renovations.This single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best renditions of the famous French variety: extra clean and concentrated like a New World wine (New Zealand comes to mind) but also refined and complex like a Pouilly-Fumé, with generous yellow peach fruit flavors that are typically Italian.	Broglia, Gavi Bruno Broglia 1998. White wine made with the Cortese grape is king here, and the proximity to the Ligurian coastline may explain the preference for light, fruity, crisp white wines. And yet, this glorious Gavi feels more like a Montrachet than a Vermentino: made with fruit grown on 50 year-old vines, this is an extremely complex and intensely flavorful wine, with aristocratic perfumes and a clean, crisp finish that lingers pleasantly on the palate for a very long time.	Primosic, Klin 1998. The unimaginative label of Super White finds its raison d'etre in Marko Primosic's best wine. Klin is the powerfully complex marriage of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Ribolla Gialla with penetrating aromas of kiwi, grapefruit and tangerine, a broad, silky palate that retains an unexpected vibrancy, and a structure that has potential for serious aging. If there ever was need for white wine to be decanted, Klin will make you entertain the thought.