Okay contestants, Friday's entree will be Spaghetti con Vongole, as I've developed a nasty craving since participating in a thread on the North America forum. I'm willing to travel to the liquor store, so what do you suggest?

Saturday's entree will be Grilled sausage and Cannellini Beans w/ sage but I'm thinking a chianti with that unless someone has something more interesting.

BTW - the DEI Nobile Riserve went great with the lamb and garlic roasted potatoes (we took Dorothy's suggestion and served the asparagus between the caviar and the lamb).

For the Vongole...
Tocai Friulano from Friuli or something from Campania: Greco di Tufo, or Fiano di Avellino or Paestum. If there is tomato in the preparation, the Tocai will do just great. Both of these wines have earthy and spicy tones and are not, when well made, too fruit driven.

For Tocai here are a few names of traditional styled wines:
Ronco del Gnemiz
Le Vigne di Zamo
Plozner
Venica Ronco delle Cime (See if you can get the 2004)

For Fiano:

Cantina del Taburno (or their Falanghina)
Benito Ferrara Grecco di Tufo
Donnaluna Fiano di Paestum by DeConciliius
Grecco or Fiano from Terradora

For the grilled sausage, how about something Piemontese? Dolcetto, Barbera or Nebbiolo.

I loved a taste of Carema Ferrando 99 white Label I had last night. It would be great with the sausageg. You could try Dolcetto from Marcarini, Podere Colla, Einaudi, Chionetti or Icardi. Barbera from Colla, Hillberg.

My suggestion for the Saturday entree: 2001 "Capitel de'Roari" Amarone della Valpolicella from Luigi Righetti. It's easy on the budget (about $25 at the wine store here) and I like it so so much. However, in this, as in all other things, that is just my opinion and your mileage may vary.

Gosh, it's been forever since we've had an Amarone but we'll probably go with the Dolcetta or Chianti since we have both on hand.

I'll go check on the Tocai's tomorrow but somehow I think I'm going to have trouble finding them.

Or you might look for a Vermentino. It is a crisp mineraly white that would go good with Shellfish. Maybe one from Sardinia? It might be hard to find also. An easy alternative would be Sauvignon blanc.