Italians take wine very seriously. And just as they eat regionally, Italians drink regionally. Go to Tuscany, and you will find locals drinking Chianti, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Brunello di Montalcino, and other Tuscan wines with their meals. Head to Abruzzo, and you will find Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, or Trebbiano d'Abruzzo on the table.

Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world, and it exports much of its wine to North America. Every Italian region produces good wine (some more than others, of course). Italian wines run the gamut from fresh, lively wines (either red, white, or rosé) best sipped young to deep, noble wines meant to mature in a cool cellar. At our NYC cooking loft, we offer wine tastings every month or so, and each wine is introduced by Costas Mouzouras, our Wine Director.

Every Italian wine belongs to one of four legal categories: DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or Denomination of Controlled Origin), DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), VdT (Vino da Tavola, or Table Wine), or IGT (Identificazione Geografica Tipica, or Typical Geographic Identification). DOC and DOCG regulations specify the grapes to be used for a specific wine, the yield of grapes per hectare, the production zone, the manner in which the wine is to be vinified, and the aging period. While by and large the country's best wines have historically been labelled DOC or DOCG, nowadays a number of Italy's most sought-after wines do not comply with strict DOC or DOCG laws (which stipulate almost exclusive use of local grape varietals) and are categorized as VdT or IDG wines; this is the case, for example, for Tuscany's renowned super-Tuscans, a class of expensive wines vinified from a blend of indigenous and imported grape varietals.

One way to approach Italian wine is to pair regional wines with regional recipes. In other words, if you're cooking a meal from Molise, stick with wines from Molise; if something Sicilian is on the menu, look to Sicilian wines instead. This is certainly a valid, and traditional, starting point, but it can also be limiting: sometimes the best food and wine pairings require that you step outside regional boundaries, especially for those regions where a narrower range of wines is vinified.

Apéritifs and cocktails: Sparkling wines work well; I like Spumante Brut or Prosecco.

Fish, seafood, pasta in cream sauce: Whites tend to be better here; try Bianco di Custoza, Chardonnay, Falerio, Fiano di Avellino, Frascati, Friulano, Galestro, Gavi, Greco di Tufo, Orvieto, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Soave, Verdicchio, or Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Poultry, veal, pasta in tomato or meat sauce: Light-bodied or medium-bodied reds are ideal; pour Barbera, Bardolino, Chianti, Dolcetto, Grignolino, Lambrusco, Merlot, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Nebbiolo, Rosso di Montalcino, or Valpolicella.

Game, fowl, roasts, red meat, and aged cheeses: Full-bodied reds are most suitable; serve Amarone, Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmignano, Chianti Classico Riserva, Gattinara, Refosco, Rosso Piceno, Salice Salentino Classico, Taurasi, or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Sweets: Sparkling or sweet wines, sometimes fortified, pair nicely; try Asti Spumante, Malvasia, Marsala Superiore or Vergine, Moscato d'Asti, Picolit, or Vin Santo.

WINE CLASSES IN NYC

There are few things better in life than a great wine. Perhaps a great wine paired with great food... enjoyed in great company!

That's why I decided to offer wine tasting classes. Geared to wine aficionados, these classes are the best way to learn more about Italy's top wines and enjoy a fabulous meal.

The classes combine a hands-on cooking lesson (45 minutes of cooking) featuring extraordinary ingredients (think wild mushrooms, duck, aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and the like) with an informative, entertaining wine tasting that will give you the unique opportunity to taste some of Italy's top wines: from Super Tuscans to Piedmont's big, bold reds, you will experience memorable Italian wines and learn more about what makes them special. Each wine will be introduced by a master sommelier, its flavor profile and best pairings discussed.

Wine tastings last from 6 pm to 9 pm on weeknights, and are led by Costas Mouzouras, RUSTICO's charismatic Wine Director (from NYC's Gotham Wines; pictured at left). Tastings always sell out fast, so be sure to reserve early!

If you'd like to host a wine tasting for your next corporate event or private party, call 917-602-1519 to inquire about rates, menus, and availability.

RUSTICO COOKING TIP FOR SPOTLESS WINE GLASSES:

At our NYC cooking loft, we use Restaurant Crystal Clean to wash our wine glasses. This is an amazing product... It leaves no film, and no odor, so you can taste your wine, not your soap. Visit Restaurant Crystal Clean to find out more.

Knowing what the words on an Italian wine label mean will help you make smarter purchases at the wine store.

Abboccato: Slightly sweet

Amabile: Semi-sweet

Annata: Vintage year

Bianco: White

Brut: Dry sparkling wine

Classico: Wines produced in the best zone of a production area

Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or DOC: Denomination of Controlled Origin

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or DOCG: Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin

Dolce: Sweet

Fattoria: Farm or estate

Frizzante: Lightly sparkling

Identificazione Geografica Tipica, or IGT: Typical Geographic Identification

Liquoroso: High-alcohol wine, often fortified

Metodo Classico: Sparkling wines produced using the champenoise method

Novello: New wine marketed shortly after the harvest

Passito: Wine made from dried, or raisined, grapes; often, but by no means always, sweet

Produttore: Producer

Riserva: Reserve wine, aged for the duration of time specified by law

Rosato: Rosé

Rosso: Red

Secco: Dry

Spumante: Sparkling

Tenuta: Farm or estate

Vendemmia: Harvest

Vino da Tavola, or VdT: Table Wine

Pere Cotte al Chianti

Chianti-Poached Pears Stuffed with Gorgonzola-Walnut Cream

Select a young, creamy Gorgonzola for the stuffing; it is usually labeled Dolcelatte in Italian markets and cheese shops.

For the pears:

• 2 cups Chianti Classico
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip orange zest
• 4 ripe pears, peeled, halved, and cored

For the Gorgonzola mousse:

• 1/2 pound young Gorgonzola, rind removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 cup walnut halves, plus 8 walnut halves for garnish
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus extra if needed
• 1/2 cup honey

Make the pears: Combine the Chianti, 2 cups of water, the sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest in a 3-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and drop in the pear halves, cut side down. Cook until the pear halves are tender when pierced with a knife, turning once to cook evenly, about 15 to 25 minutes total (watch that they do not overcook, or they will fall apart).

Meanwhile, make the Gorgonzola mousse: In a food processor, combine the Gorgonzola, 1/2 cup of the walnut halves, and the cream until smooth; add more cream if needed to thin it out. The mousse should be as thick as jam. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) to firm it up; this makes piping easier.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pear halves from the poaching liquid; place on 8 plates, cut side up. Reduce the poaching liquid until it becomes almost syrupy in consistency, about 15 minutes over medium heat, watching that it does not caramelize or burn. Discard the cinnamon and orange zest.

Spoon the Gorgonzola mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the Gorgonzola mousse into the hollow of each pear half in a pretty rosette pattern. Top each rosette of mousse with a walnut half. Pour the warm reduced syrup over the pears and drizzle with the honey. Serve within 15 minutes. Serves 8