Summer Food 2005: Of Wine Snobs & Shirazes

Give me three options for a Melograno night: cheap, mid-level, and pricey.
The simplicity of Tuscany’s cuisine is as wine-friendly as the region’s wine is food-friendly. It’ll be tough to go far wrong with any dry wine at Melograno, but these Tuscan classics are sure to be a home run. The local red wines, based on the tangy Sangiovese grape, are famous for their mid-weight flexibility with food. Tuscany’s fresh, unoaked white wines are terrific aperitifs, and flatter summer appetizers and salads as well. Some of my top picks:

.Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio Blend Le Rime, $8.99 (5477).
.Chianti Rufina Riserva Frescobaldi “Nippozzano,” $21.99 (5037).
.Super Tuscan Blend Cabreo “Il Borgo,” $34.99 (7417).

Am I a loser if I bring an oaky, buttery California chardonnay to dinner with another couple?
No, the person bringing the wine is automatically the hippest one at the table. However, oaky chardonnays do flatter a narrower range of food combinations than lighter, brighter whites. In general, avoid low-fat foods with this style. Sushi? Salad? Ceviche? Leave the butter-bomb at home. Steak? Lobster? Risotto? One of these buxom beauties will be sure to please:

.Chardonnay Buehler 2002, Russian River Valley, California, $12.99 (16832).
.Chardonnay St. Francis “Behler Reserve” 2002,