 Italy provides much that is excellent and different in a world dominated by about half a dozen varietals. It is a fascinating repository of ancient, varied and delicious grape varieties, together with passionate and dynamic winemakers and we support this vital difference by refusing to list any ubiquitous international grapes. There are pitfalls: during our Autumn tasting programme we found a promising flight of Italian reds which seemed to recommend itself as a source of new lines for this list. Good wines all with depth and character which, we hoped, might be in most people's reach for a better than average bottle. The sums showed that the least of these would have to sell at something over £25, while the leader would hit the shelves at about £53. All around the world there are growers who overvalue the quality of their wine, none in greater concentration than in northern Italy. Apart from California, obviously. It isn't just that our particular market doesn't require wines of this price - actually it does sometimes; it's the way such growers seem to price according to how important they perceive themselves to be rather than what their wine is worth. It doesn't work for us.Happily Italy is speckled with bright lights, even in districts where the former burglary prevails, and there are examples here from Piedmont down to Sicily. The life of this list covers the cold months with long nights, still and frosty or wild and scary and our favourite foods change to warmer, more comforting dishes. Nourishing soups, casseroles and braises, game and the satisfying seasonal vegetables of winter fill our tables at home and the richly flavoured, autumnal character of the Italian reds is beautifully suited to the deeper flavours and earthier notes of such nurturing cooking. It's difficult to single out particular performers as, inevitably, we heartily recommend all of them, but for a treat, do try Frank Grace's wonderful Chianti Classico Riserva; there are few better. For a real difference, try the progressive Sergio Curatolo's dark, smoky Villa Tonino, so good with the rich, tomato-based cookery of the region.
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