We don’t know what it is about Italian food that fires the soul. We don’t think about it much during warmer summer months—although we should—but after the leaves fall, the Italian cookbooks come out of the closet.

As we are now well-cocooned in our warm homes, it is not uncommon for us to spend hours in the kitchen stirring a pot of bolognese sauce or a kettle of pasta fazool. The spices and herbs mingle nicely with meat and light up any kitchen.

Tom and Sue had their minds set on lasagna after Tom returned from an Italian market with an armful of Italian wines he was dying to try.

Tom and Sue grew fond of these wines after visiting Tuscany’s medieval hilltop village of Montalcino several years ago. Pricey, these wines are aged for years in oak before they are released and have great depth and character.

Just for the sake of comparison, Tom also added a brunello that Raymond highly recommended.

He also bought a rosso di montalcino, known as a baby brunello. First introduced in 1984, rosso di montalcinos are aged in oak for only six months and thus have a fresher, lighter style at half the price. Released earlier than the brunellos, they provide cash flow for producers.

While rummaging through his cellar, Tom found a 2000 Radici Taurasi from Mastroberardino to round out the dinner wines. We had heard these wines age well and he was eager to find out—after drinking it, he wishes he had more.

Tom had visited with Carlos Mastroberardino in the coastal village of Amalfimany years ago, so this wine using ancient grape varieties brings back great memories. Mastroberardino saved ancient vines from ruin after World War II and remains loyal to them today. Taurasi is the wine of ancient Taurasia as written by Titus Livius. That’s ancient!

Tom added a couple of chiantis, and the wine lineup was complete.

Meanwhile, Sue had found a recipe for a white lasagna with raddicco and pancetta in the December issue of Bon Appetit magazine and decided to pair it with a traditional red lasagna. She put together an escarole and butter lettuce salad with a pomegranate dressing, and added an assortment of olives, Italian cheeses and peppers from the Italian Market.

All they needed was the guests, and four couples from the neighborhood were quick to agree despite the short notice. By the end of the night, everyone was singing Dean Martin’s “Amore.”

Here were the evening’s wines plus a couple of others we recently tasted:

Folonari Pinot Grigio 2008 ($9). Pinot grigio is always a nice starter wine as guests arrive. Fragrant and vibrant in style, it has apple flavors and crisp acidity.

Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio 2008 ($8.29). What a great buy. Fruity apple and pear notes with good acidity.

Da Vinci Chianti Classico 2005 ($24). An easy wine to find. Cherry, spice aromas with ripe plum and blackberry flavors.

Rendola Rosso di Montalcino 2006 ($12). Generous berry aromas, integrated tannins and bright dark berry flavors.

Rendola Brunello di Montalcino 2003 ($25). This is probably one of the most reasonably priced brunellos we have found. Although most brunellos are best after more aging, this one is drinking great now. And a 2003 for $25? Buy it.

Castello Banfi Belnero 2005 ($38). Floral, tobacco aromas with cherry and plum flavors and a dash of anise and vanilla. Good balance, fine tannins. This wine is drinking well now, but could be aged for several years.

Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2000 ($68). You don’t often see a wine this old on the shelf, so it’s quite an advantage to be able to buy time, so to speak. Full bodied, complex with good oak, fine tannins and a load of spice.