Drinking Italian wines the Italian way — al fresco — perfect for spring Mary Earl View Comments My training to become a wine expert took years of dining on delicious foods and wonderful wines. Well, maybe they weren’t all wonderful wines but one will gravitate to the wines and food that give the most pleasure. Growing up in the Chicago area, Italian food and wines were everywhere. And as every Italian knows, food and wine have a natural affinity for each other. Some years ago, friends from Italy visited with their 6-year-old son. He didn't speak English so there was a lot of pantomiming. But Maria Pia and Carlo did speak English and were puzzled about the American practice of sitting around sipping wine without food.