I am going to make spaghetti for dinner tonight, complete with a wonderful red tomato sauce and some buttery garlic bread.
I would also like to serve a bottle of wine or two with dinner. However, I am quite the dunce when it comes to wine, and I am afraid that I will purchase a bottle that will show off my wine ignorance to the whole world. I assume that I should serve a red wine, but the liquor store seems to have dozens of different types of red wine available. So, what would be a good wine to serve along with spaghetti w/ a homemade red sauce and garlic bread?
One of my favorite wines is Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon. They also make a very tasty Pinot Noir (though you might need something a bit stronger than a pinot with a full-flavored red sauce, unless it’s spicy hot - IMHO, pinots go well with spicy food, especially kung pao). I also like Rancho Zabaco or Ravenswood red zinfandels. I’m not a huge fan of Merlots, though my husband had a wonderful one last night - I think it was a Simi Valley 2001 Merlot, but I can’t remember.
Most of the above wines are very reasonably priced - usually between $11 - $15, I think.
But - there’s a lovely Merlot/Cabernet called Luna di Luna, here. You don’t have to order it, it’s available in most liquor stores and well-stocked groceries with liquor departments. My friend Monti almost always serves this with spaghetti, and it’s very nice, as well as being reasonably priced and with the added bonus of a pretty bottle
Chianti would certainly be a traditional choice. My personal feeling is that there is a lot of crappy chianti out there…more so than other types of wine. This is an opinion that is pretty heavily colored by a personal dislike of chianti though.
If you do decide to go for a chianti, you might improve your chances by looking for “Chianti Classico” on the label. Also, if you find the word “Riserva” on a bottle in your price range, that would also improve your chances. Better yet, ask someone at the store for a recommendation.
Add my name to the list that says Zinfandel is a good choice.
I like Italian wine with tomato sauces (other wines don’t always hold up well to the acid in tomatoes) but I’m not fond of Chianti, so I’ll often choose Valpolicella, Montepulciano, or a Sangiovese-and-something blend. I’ve had good luck with Italian merlots, too.
The quality of Valpolicella has improved and my favorite winemaker is Allegrini who makes three excellent wines of late: La Grola (~$14-15), Palazzo della Torre (also $15), and Valpolicella Classico (~$8-10). All three are Corvina - Rondinella - Syrah - Sangiovese blends.
My favorite recent chianti’s would be: Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva ($18-20 - you will pay more for riserva than for classico than for regular chianti), Antinori’s Santa Cristina (an awesome wine for $8-10 that is an IGT wine made from Sangiovese and Merlot). Another one that I just had last week is from Lenzi and is named “Fattoria di Petroio Chianti Classico” and, like all DOC and DOCG wines from Chianti (including the other sub districts) and Chianti Classico are Sangiovese blends.
Also in Apulia and other regions you will find many wines with the Primitivo grape which is believed to be the grape later to be known as Zinfandel. I have had and enjoyed a wine from this area called Terragnolo made by Apollonio Marcello e Massimilinano at around $8-10).
Another recent wine I liked was from Lombardia called “Benaco Bresciano Ronchedone” by Ca dei Frati which is an IGT wine consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Barbera - Sangiovese - Gropello - Marzemino blend. Very reasonably priced at $10-12. Another tasty red would from Di Majo Norante named Ramitello Terra Degli Osci which is a Prugnolo - Aglianico blend. Very complex with good fruit and balanced tannins at $15 per bottle.
Last would be Falesco, who has been making one of the best wines with good quality to price ratio called Vitiano that sells for $8-10 and is a Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Sangiovese (equal parts) blend that is an amazing wine for the money.
Like anything or anywhere else there are good and bad wines everywhere you just have to find the gems. Hope this will help.
I should have stated that my last post is for good fruit based Italian red wines with earthy tones that will go extremely well with tomato based pasta sauces.
Just a note that often adding a little of the wine you are serving with the meal to the spaghetti sauce can help. It just seems to make the meal and wine go together better imho. If you plan on doing this often, keep a log of wines you have tried, and note what flavours you think would complement them this can then be used for future refference.
I also vote for either a good Chianti or, if you can find it, the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo made by Citra. I’ve heard their Cabernet is excellent as well, but I’ve not had a chance to try it. Citra is a wine cooperative in the Abruzzo region of Italy and their wines are an excellent value. I can get the Montepulciano here at Total Wine And More for only $4-5.
Also, another good value wine is Yellow Trail Shiraz. It’s Australian, but goes with any hearty dish quite well.
I don’t like red wine in general, so I always have white. If you’re going to have two bottles, get a nice Chianti (fava beans, anyone? :D) or Cabernet Sauvignon and a nice dry-ish white, like a Pinot Grigio (also called Pinot Gris) or a Viognier (sp?).
