Which French wine to drink with Italian dishes?

Italy doesn't cook with the same fat from one end to the other. The north, a land of plains, dairy farms and rice paddies, tends to reach for butter; the olive-covered south reaches for olive oil. It's a tendency rather than a rule, and every region has its exceptions, but it helps you choose between a fuller wine and a crisper one.

Risotto, Polenta, Charcuterie: Fuller Whites, Elegant Reds

In the north, rice and polenta often take the place of pasta. Risotto is finished with butter and grated cheese; polenta, cornmeal cooked slowly, comes to the table creamy, or cooled and then grilled, often alongside meat in a sauce.

In the Alps, from the Aosta Valley to Trentino, melted cheese and hearty winter dishes round out this rich cooking. These creamy dishes need a white with body but no heaviness.

A lightly oaked Burgundy Chardonnay or a white from the Jura stands up to the butter and cheese, where a very light white would taste thin. With slow-cooked meat served over polenta, move to an elegant red such as a Burgundy Pinot Noir.

The north is also charcuterie country: Parma ham, mortadella from Bologna, dry-cured salami. For a sharing board, pour a red from Beaujolais, where Gamay is the main grape: its fruit and suppleness handle salt and fat without weighing down the aperitif.

Tomatoes, Capers, Sun-Ripened Vegetables: Southern French Reds, Rosés and Vermentino

The farther south you go, the more olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and capers set the tone, alongside sun-ripened vegetables such as eggplant and bell peppers. Dishes there are often bolder, sometimes spiked with chili; in Calabria, even the charcuterie gets some, as in spreadable 'nduja.

In Puglia or Sicily, vegetables and fish often take center stage. These flavors call for wines from the South of France.

A Languedoc red or one from the southern Rhône Valley, based on Grenache and Syrah, goes with roasted vegetables and grilled meats; a dry, pale Provence rosé suits grilled fish and summer tables. With garlic and herbs, bright fruit matters more than heavy oak.

For white, think Vermentino, a grape at home on both sides of the sea. In Sardinia, two appellations bear its name; in Provence, where it is also called Rolle, it is one of the main grapes for white Côtes de Provence. A Vermentino white goes well with vegetables in olive oil and fried small fish.

Saltimbocca, Gnocchi, Burrata: A French Wine for Each

What wine goes with saltimbocca?

With saltimbocca, veal cutlets topped with prosciutto and sage, serve a dry white or a light red. This Roman classic, quickly seared in butter, needs no tannin: a Mâcon Chardonnay or a red Burgundy Pinot Noir lets the sage come through.

What wine goes with gnocchi in butter and sage?

With gnocchi in brown butter and sage, choose a dry white that is fresh yet slightly full. A dry Loire Chenin Blanc or a white from Savoie suits the soft potato dumplings and nutty butter without weighing the dish down.

What wine goes with burrata?

With burrata, mozzarella with a creamy center, pick a lively white or a pale rosé. A Touraine Sauvignon Blanc or a dry rosé matches the milky sweetness of the cheese, even with a few tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Where can you buy French wine for Italian food direct from the winemaker?

You can buy French wine for Italian food direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. Every wine's page shows its alcohol content and vintage.

See also: Wine and Cheese - Wines and red meat - Wines and desserts