Growing up in an Italian family food has always played an important role. Weather it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert food is always the epicenter of family conversation. From pasta and lasagna to salad and garlic bread each piece of the meal plays an important role. The food each night varies but there is always one common variable found in each meal, wine. Tonight at dinner asked my parents why wine is served with every meal and there was no definite answer except my mom saying, "wine is civilized."
Despite years of looking down upon me indulging myself in alcoholic beverages, wine was always acceptable for me to drink since the age of 12. Not understanding in full perspective the enjoyment of wine, i now realized it is the conversation that can be held over a glass, or two, of wine that makes it so important. Food, to the Italian side of my family, along with wine are used to converse and brings the family closer together. Weather it be pasta, pizza, or lasagna on the table it seems that the wine is always present as well as the conversation. From pre-dinner wine, to dinner wine, to dessert wine, the wine becomes the fuel to conversation which brings the entire family close together.
To me and my family conversation is limited due to conflicting schedules, so now the most time we spend together are the one or two nights a week at the dinner table. The conversation we have at the table keeps us informed on each others lives. Food to our family is more than just a necessity, it is a link to keep the family together. Whether it be at family gatherings, or just home at the dinner table food and wine are key ingredients in keeping this Italian family strung together.
Just like many meals going perfectly with a certain beer, i.e. chicken enchiladas and Pacifico, wine helps bring out many good flavors in Italian cooking. Not only is the wine drank, it is also cooked into many of marinades. A good red wine always seems to make pasta and especially a good cheese a whole notch better.
