Satta's Bolgheri Rosato 2007, served with baked crab meat in shell, was the star of the evening. 'The challenge here is to serve the wine at the right temperature, too cold and the flavour disappears, too warm and the acidity is too high,' Pesci says. Made predominantly with Sangiovese grapes, the rosato had the power to match and contrast the crab.

For the wok-fried sliced pigeon with asparagus and crispy Yunnan ham that followed, another native grape (or, autochthon) was selected. 'This was a challenging match,' says Pesci, who wanted to provide a wine that was not the usual merlot or cabernet, but one which would match the pigeon and the ham. 'Refosco was a great choice: slightly tannic, crisp but very gentle ... attaching itself to the ham, but gentle with the pigeon.'

The stewed wagyu beef with wild mushrooms was paired with the 'elegant ... gentle, but firm' 2004 Piastraia from Satta's vineyard. Beef and red combinations appear easy, says Pesci, but advises: 'You need a wine that will complement the food, not kill it.'

The pairing proved easier when it came to the braised pork belly with preserved vegetable on crispy vermicelli. This time Pesci felt a 'killer' was needed to balance the meat. Here the amarone, another autochthon, and probably best known for its full bodiness, proved a 'great fighter'.

'For dessert we worked with a late harvest wine from Piedmont, arneis [autochthon grape]. This is a wine that could also be a great match with many other Chinese dishes: all those braised dishes with plums, figs and in general dry fruit or spices,' Pesci says.

As the flavours in Chinese food are very particular, he believes pairing strong and complex wines is not always the best solution.

'Matching Chinese food with Italian wines is probably easier, as long as you follow some simple rules,' he says.