Stay-at-home pasta or pizza dinners call out for a simple but solid Chianti, and Monrosso fits the bill beautifully. The ruby-colored wine (80 percent Sangiovese with smaller components of Canaiolo and Merlot) is fermented in steel and aged six months in oak casks for fresh, fruit-forward results. It is redolent of cherry, plum, milk chocolate and has distant hints of spice and licorice. Its lightweight consistency and subtle tannins make it an excellent, no-brainer match for most foods. ——M.L.(11/15/2006)—— 85