We Americans are raised almost from birth with an intimate knowledge of our country’s various fast food selections. Even small details like the difference between a Wendy’s, McDonalds, and White Castle burger—square, $1, guaranteed stomachache, respectively—are ingrained in our cultural food knowledge.That’s how Italians are with wine. A native Italian does not drink cocktails or beer or soda for dinner, he drinks wine—or so boasted my hosts on a recent trip to three-Michelin-star restaurant La Pergola, located at the top of the Rome Cavalieri Hotel. Keep this field blank Enter your email address You may unsubscribe at any time. La Pergola’s chief sommelier Marco Reitano—who this year received the title of best sommelier from Italy’s gourmet guide Identità Golose—is an expert among experts. The La Pergola cellar is home to 3,000 labels—all of which has been tasted and then purchased either by his staff or Reitano himself. “Our selection has representation from each Italian region, representation from every type of Italian grape, and it’s also representative of world wines,” Reitano explains. 

We asked Reitano for the 10 best Italian wines, and we gave him a catch: They all had to be available for purchase in the United States either in a wine shop or by mail order. Here are his picks.best cheap wine with turkeyCà del Bosco Franciacorta Annamaria ClementiThis wine from Northern Italy is full-bodied with notes of citrus and a refreshing finish—perfect for an Italian-style special occasion dinner. wine buying guide 2015“It’s often compared to the French Dom Perignon,” Reitano says.what kind of wine is best with turkeyPair with: Parma ham or spaghetti carbonaraBuy online: $65.19; Villa Raiano Fiano di AvellinoItaly’s Campania region isn’t only famous for its gulfs and the gastronomic town of Naples. It’s also known for the strong-flavored white Fiano grape, which is grown almost exclusively in Southern Italy.

“This 100% Fiano from the southern Campania region is dry, refreshing, and mineral, with apple and walnut flavors,” describes Reitano.Pair with: Mushroom risottoBuy online: $203.88 per case; Venica Ronco delle CimeClosely related to a sauvignon blanc, the Friulano grape is one of the oldest vines in Italy’s northern Fruili region. (It also goes by the name Sauvignonasse and Sauvignon Vert.) Dry and fruity with an herbal finish.Pair with: Sea bass carpaccio or sautéed clamsBuy online: $30.50; Pieropan Soave Classico La RoccaIf you’re browsing your local shop for a bottle on this list, look for this common label. “With exotic flavors and a rich body, this is among the most long-aging Italian white wines,” Reitano says. It’s pressed from 100% garganega grapes, local from the Veneto region.Pair with: Grilled lobster or scallops saladBuy online: $42.22; Giacomo Conterno Barolo MonfortinoIt’s only appropriate that this wine from old vines is “probably the most long aging Italian red wine,” according to Reitano.

Monfortino is a classic Barolo-style wine—designed to be aged in casks for many years and made with native Italian nebbiolo grapes. What’s the payoff of patience (and the hefty price tag)? A deep, mineral flavor with wildberry and spices.Pair with: White truffle ravioli or grilled lambBuy online: $399; Gaja Barbaresco“From the world-famous Gaja winery comes a classical bodied nebbiolo—rich and mineral, with a balsamic finish,” Reitano says. Translation: It’s a wine that’ll put hair on your chest.Pair with: Roasted duckBuy online: $95.49 per case; Zenato Amarone della ValpolicellaFor the classic wine and cheese pairing, offer up this traditional red. The cherry fruit and a spicy tobacco finish complement any strong Italian cheese like Parmesan or pecorino.Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio all’OroAs every beginning student of wine knows, every vintage has its own characteristics. So what’s a vintner to do when certain year’s weather doesn’t cooperate? They don’t sell it.

That’s why you’ll only see this available in specific vintages—and why you can trust that any bottle will be of the highest quality. The taste: “Power and balance with a lot of fruit and soft tannins.”Pair with: T-bone steakBuy online: $109.99; Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben RyèIf you like sweet wines, try this sugar-rich red from the small island of Pantelleria in Sicily. “The wine has a dense body with lots of dry fruit flavors,” Reitano describes.Pair with: CannoliBuy online: $44.99; Incisa della Rocchetta SassicaiaReitano calls this Bordeaux-style blend from the coast of Tuscany “the king of Italian wines.” It’s known as a Super Tuscan wine—a Chianti-style wine that didn’t technically meet Italy’s strict regulations to be officially labelled as Chianti.Pair with: Baked pigeon, chicken, or game henBuy it: Available at specialty wine shops for around $80/bottleNEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Americans are drinking more Italian wines than Italians themselves, owing to the popularity of sparkling wines from the southern European country and millennials.

Italian varieties are the top imported wine in the United States, which is the world's largest consumer market, according the Italian Wine and Food Institute. Winemakers attending the Vinitaly trade show in New York said despite such classic Italian wines as Barolo, Brunello and Babaresco, the sparkler Prosecco is the favorite. "It is Prosecco that is driving sales right now. It was pulled in by Moscato," Stevie Kim, managing director of Vinitaly, said about the sweet, sparkling Italian dessert wine. "And it is the millennials who are in the driver's seat," she added, referring to people born in the 1980s and later. The Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which serves many California vineyards, noted in its 2014 annual business report for the industry that "the Millennial generation is consuming more foreign wine." Millennials also have a fondness for sweeter wines. Sales of Moscato imported from Italy were up 26.3 percent by volume for the 52 weeks ending Jan. 4, according to the Nielsen ratings company.

Imports from Italy of a still version of the grape were up 14.1 percent by volume. Unlike Prosecco, which is made from the Glera grape and must be produced in a well-demarcated region, Moscato is a grape that can be grown anywhere and is not subject to the regulations of an Italian consortium. So Italian brands of Moscato, such as Riunite, Maschio Cadora, or Ceretto Santo Stefano, are battling U.S. brands, including Barefoot, Beringer or Cupcake, for shelf space. And although Italy is the world's largest wine exporter, Italians are drinking less wine as American consumption rises. "(The) large majority of Italians like to drink a glass of wine having their meal," said Michele Antonio Fino, associate professor at the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo. "They don't feel it is as necessary as it was 30 years ago." Wine consumption is at its lowest point in Italy since the country was unified in 1861, according to Coldiretti, the largest Italian farmers' association.

Although final figures were not available, Italians were expected to drink per adult about 10.6 gallons (40 liters) of wine in 2013, or just about a third of the 29 gallons a year they used to consume in the 1970s, according to the Italian winemaking association Assoenologi. By comparison, Americans drank between 1.4 gallons and 2 gallons per person in the 1970s. In 2012, they consumed 2.7 gallons of wine, according to the California-based Wine Institute. The consortium that governs the production of Prosecco reported global sales in 2013 topped some 241.6 million bottles, up more than 24 percent from 2012. "It's just taken off like a shot. You used to be able to get good Prosecco for under $10 a bottle here," said Kim. "Now, many are nearer to $20." Still, there are signs that Prosecco producers and many other winemakers will have difficulties raising their prices in 2014. California's SVB cautioned that the higher volume of wine available for sale in a sluggish economy will temper the opportunity for producers to raise prices.