An Italian dream team: pasta with pesto, tomatoes and grilled cheese atop smoky eggplant, and a fresh, racy white wine.

Perfect Wine Match

The Pinot Grigios of northeastern Italy are fresh, racy and straightforward—just what you want to drink with a robust dish like this spaghettini. Fuller-bodied bottlings, like the 2002 Livio Felluga ($23) from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, are concentrated enough to stand up to the herbal tang of the pesto and the smokiness of the eggplant without sacrificing their trademark crisp, palate-clearing finish. The 2002 Tiefenbrunner ($13) from the region of Trentino-Alto Adige is a fine alternative, lighter-bodied but intensely flavored, with floral aromas that pick up the sweetness of the basil.

—Richard Nalley

Published October 2003