MMMmmmm, garlic!

Hmmmmmm, garlic?

Choosing wines to go with garlic and chili peppers is not a simple task. There is a way to get a handle on this, though, so stick around.

Garlic

The mere mention of it brings to mind images of a vampire-free zone with Mamma at its center, stirring a huge pot of red sauce that has enough garlic in it to make the residents of Gilroy, California blush.

One might think that Italian wines would go best with garlicky food. Well, yes and no. Since Italians tend to use garlic sliced or whole, not crushed or chopped, the resulting dishes are rarely overpowering. Of course, bruschetta, with the raw garlic clove rubbed on the grilled bread, is a garlic force to be reckoned with.

Here are wines to go with strong garlic flavor, in Italian, French and other non-Asian cuisines.

There are a few things to look for in a wine that you are matching to a dish heady with garlic: Power, fruit and body.

• Power - We know that garlic has it. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Merlot all can, too. Avoid my usual favorites, Riesling and Pinot Noir, because they're too delicate to deal with aggressive garlic flavor. With the reds, the softer, the better. Harsh tannins can be unpleasant in combination with aggressive garlic flavor.

• Fruit - Those wines I mentioned in power? Same ones. Add in Chianti Classico, Barbera and Gattinara, three Italian favorites. Fruit, or apparent sweetness, can tame the wild garlic beast.

• Body - Skim milk never stands up to strong coffee (and turns it a yucky color, too). In the same vein, I would not recommend a delicate wine to go with an aggressive dish. A light, fresh Macon from Burgundy in France (100% Chardonnay) would seem watery if served with escargots in garlic butter. Conversely, a big California Chard or full white Burgundy could keep up with the snails. Generally, you can tell the body of the wine by looking at the alcohol percentage. Wines with 12.5% to 14% have enough heft to stand up to a full-flavored dish.