Paging Through an Italian Idyll

"If it grows together, it goes together." That adage echoes our No. 1 rule of food and wine pairing, "Think regionally," and it applies nowhere more strongly than in Italy, whose food and wine are so regionally driven.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Italy's 20 regions are subdivided into more than 100 provinces, 8,000 municipalities and 35,000 localities, many with their own unique traditions, which makes mastering them all unlikely. However, their flavor synergies are so pleasurable that it's worth persevering for a taste of the likes of Emilia-Romagna's salumi (cured meats) with Lambrusco, or Liguria's pesto with Vermentino, or Tuscany's biscotti with Vin Santo.

A landlocked region, Umbria is a source of fabulous lentils, olives and olive oil, pork (in all its guises, from roast suckling pig to prosciutto to sausages), and both black and white truffles. Paired with those ingredients, its local wines create a magic all their own. Umbria often is overshadowed as a culinary destination by neighboring Tuscany. But that only helps to make it a better source of delicious bargains -- in wine and in real estate.

Married actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry of "L.A. Law" fame were after the latter when they bypassed Tuscany in favor of Umbria. The two, who met at Washington's Arena Stage in 1969, bought a 350-year-old vine-covered house in the Umbrian countryside a few years ago. Tucker's enchanting new book about their adventures is the most compelling account of food and wine we've read this year.

"Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy" (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007) compelled us to sample many of the food and wine combinations mentioned in its pages. Several have proven extraordinary.

Case in point: Tucker's enthusiasm for Orvieto Classico with grilled trout led us to pour a 2006 Ruffino Orvieto Classico ($8) with our own. The dry yet fruity wine with the flavor of green apples and an almondy finish proved not only an exceptional match but also an exceptional bargain. The 2005 La Carraia Orvieto Classico ($9) is another refreshingly crisp white that goes beautifully with grilled fish and chicken; the winery also makes a food-friendly 2005 La Carraia Sangiovese ($12), whose fabulous tart-cherry and bitter-chocolate flavors pair seamlessly with pastas that have meaty tomato sauces.

Umbrian wines do not yet have a widespread presence on American wine store shelves, although their availability is increasing. Worth seeking out are those made from native Sagrantino grapes, which produce some of the more tannic Old World reds you're likely to encounter. While the texture of the 2001 Terre de Trinci Sagrantino di Montefalco ($45) we tasted was smooth and silky, its flavor volume was powerfully loud -- though it was readily calmed when accompanied by pasta dishes with red meat sauce or truffles. Keep an eye out, too, for easier-drinking Sagrantino blends, which can be comparative bargains, including the same winery's similarly appealing 2001 Terre de Trinci Montefalco Rosso Riserva ($24). In his memoir, Tucker recounts how he and his friends don't stay put long, traveling from Umbria to other parts of Italy and enjoying local food and wine specialities along the way -- and inspiring us to do likewise. From Tuscany to the north, we savored the high-acid yet earthy 2004 Gabbiano Chianti Classico ($14) with a tomato-sauced pasta, a time-tested pairing that deliciously reminded us that classics are classic for a reason.

From the Veneto region, we sampled two impressive proseccos. The NV Canella Prosecco d i Conegliano ($17) is a step up in price and flavor from others. Served ice-cold, it has a fruit-forward character with the slightest whisper of sweetness, making it the perfect match for a crusty slice of country bread slathered with fresh, creamy ricotta cheese and drizzled with eucalyptus honey. One of the most delightful symphonies of flavor we've tasted in recent memory, it wasn't even on our radar until Tucker and his prosecco-loving friend George introduced us to the pairing on Page 119. The other is the dry, crisp NV Nino Franco Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Rustico ($15), which chef Alexander Powell of 701 restaurant in Penn Quarter recommends with his ribbons of tuna with crushed avocado, rice crisps and a creamy garlic sauce.

Reading books on wine provides an invaluable, yet often insufficient, wine education. Without knowledge of the wines' accompanying food, you're nothing but a wine geek. Books like "Living in a Foreign Language" provide such an ideal context for how to truly enjoy wine with food that they should be required reading for all oenophiles.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, award-winning authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat," can be reached through their Web site, www.becomingachef.com, or at food@washpost.com.

From Author Michael Tucker

"Living in a Foreign Language" author Michael Tucker exhibited the patience of a saint when we peppered him with questions about some of his favorite wine and food pairings in Umbria and elsewhere in Italy. They include:

Amarone: lasagna, meats.

Barbaresco: pecorino cheese, grilled poultry.

Grechetto: bruschetta with mushrooms, cheese, fish, salami, grilled trout.

Montefalco Rosso (Tucker's favorite wine, partly due to its versatility with food): beef, braised meat dishes and sauces, polenta, pasta with wild boar sauce, mixed grill, spaghetti alla carbonara.

Orvieto Classico: bruschetta, fish, seafood, grilled trout.

Prosecco: bread topped with ricotta cheese and eucalyptus honey.

Sagrantino di Montefalco: aged cheeses, salumi (Italian cured meats), beef, steak, lamb, wild boar; pasta or pizza; black truffles.