You will no doubt find someone who insists that you have to drink a white wine from the 'Castelli Romani' if you are eating fresh fava beans and pecorino romano cheese on a spring afternoon under a grape arbor in one of the comfortable little restaurants just south of Rome on the Via Appia. I would probably agree with them... local wines and local specialties often seem to enjoy a special relationship.

The reality is that your own enjoyment is the overriding factor when choosing a wine - especially with the simple dishes presented on these pages. Red or white, simple or expensive, let your palate be the judge.

It can be fun to match wines from an area with a dish from an area - a Tuscan Chianti with pappardella al lepre, for example, or a white wine from Sicily with a white seafood sauce.

Experiment, and enjoy!