The wine of Italy is some of the most popular and famous in the world.  Wine has been a staple in Tuscany from the time of the extravagent Etruscans.  It is considered a part of the meal and is integral to Italian life and culture.  In Tuscany the predominant grape, but by no means the only grape, is Sangiovese.  Chianti must be a minimum of 80% Sangiovese and many wines are 100% Sangiovese.  It is not difficult to find Italian wines outside of Italy and with a few simple tips it is easy to be assured of finding a quality wine that will compliment the food you are serving.

A few basics.

• Storage-it is always good to have wine on hand and the way it is stored is important. Keep the bottles on their sides to prevent the bottles from spoiling. If you do not have space for a small wine refridgerator find a space in your home that is cool and dark and does not have a lot of variation in temperature.
• Glassware-if you are not an oenophile with a 5,000 bottle cellar a full collection of sommelier worthy glassware is and unnecessary expense and use of space.   That said, the glassware does make a difference in your wine. If you have a set of Bordeaux stems, Burgundy stems and a couple of Champagne flutes that will suffice for most wines.  A personal favorite is the Riedel Vinum series–best quality for the price and available everywhere.  A final note, all stemware should be color free.
• Chianti-Chianti is by far the most popular of the wines in Tuscany.  Chianti is an A.O.C. regulated region, the same sort of designation as Champagne.  The region is in the heart of TUscany and the core of the region has been designated as Chianti Classico as of 1932.  When you buy a bottle of Chianti Classico, designated with a black rooster on the neck of the bottle, you are assured of a bottle of wine from one of the most ancient and successful wine producing regions in the world. Quality- there are 4 important quality designations. D.O. (Denominazione di Origine), D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), D.O.C.G. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) and finally, Indicazione Geografica Tipica. The first three categories are in ascending order of quality and the fourth is for high quality wines grown either outside of the designated regions or using different methods of production.  When you see these designations you will be enjoying a high quality wine.

• Pairings- the general rules of tasting exist for a reason, through centuries of ever so enjoyable research people found that drinking wines in a certain order and with specific foods was the best way to bring out flavors and have a great meal.  Beginning with a sweeter, lighter white, progressing through richer whites, lighter reds, and finishing with full reds is the traditional progression.  Of course you will not in most dinners be going through four different types of wine so I will suggest types of wines that work well with posted recipes.

In vino veritas