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What kind of red wine goes best with italian food?

I'm going to a dinner tonight and they're serving italian; probably linguine w/red clam sauce. What kind of wine (red I would think?) goes best with this? I don't know if I can find the brand name - can you tell me what to look for - they have all these descriptions on the bottle like "hints of blackberry, cherry," "hints of plum and oak," etc. but they don't say what food they go with! So what "hints of" would go best with italian pasta? Thanks.

Public Comments

1. The classic pairing is Chianti, but it can be pretty dry. I like a hearty merlot or burgundy.
2. Restaurant - Ask for their house red. It's usually chosen to go with as many plates as they have. There's no need to impress by buying a labeled wine which you don't know and have never tasted before. Home - Talk with the employees of the store. Merlot is nice, but don't take my word for it.
3. Don't be scared to ask the server. They should know what's appropriate to pair with each dish.
4. Lambrusco is fine, ask for the brand Riunite. Also you can save some quarters. Good Luck.
5. i agree with riunite lambrusco, lighter and sweeter than most other reds.. also its like 10 bucks for a huge bottle. goes great with pretty much anything, not just italian food.
6. ask for merlot. prenounced ( mer-low)
7. Find a good merlot.
8. Please don't do the Riunite Lambrusco, you'll regret it for the rest of your life, it's terrible wine, unless your're already drunk and eating crappy pizza. A Chianti is a good choice, because of the relatively high acidity of the wine makes a good pairing with most red sauces. Don't go overboard on a Riserva, just stay with a Classico, or try one from Rufina or Collio Fiorentini (these all both districts of Chianti) If you want to stay closer to home, try a Pinot Noir from The Santa Barbara area, again the acidity will work nicely...
9. A linguine with red clam sauce would pair best with a medium dry wine. I would recommend either a Bardolino a Valpolicella, or a Montepulciano if you want to go with an Italian wine. Other wines that would be good, a Merlot-Shiraz or a Pinot Noir.
10. Cheap red wine and lots of it. Chianti is wildly overpriced, but the best. Skip the hints of berry and plum, just a marketing scam. If you can detect them you should be in the wine business.
11. chianti barolo they are both fine any red wine burgundy
12. I prefer a chiant but have ordered merlot or cabernet sauvignon on several occasions. IF I'm bringing a bottle for a dinner party i buy a mid-priced chianti.