While we're comforting ourselves with food, try the wines of Veneto

Warming aromas of a meaty stew filling your kitchen, a gooey mouthful of cheese, carbs - maybe you feel better just thinking about them. While comfort food may not benefit the waistline, it does the psyche, according to a study by the Association for Psychological Science, upping a sense of well-being and decreasing loneliness.

But comfort food needn't be junk. Your guilty pleasure can be healthy, delicious and an exciting partner to wine when you eat and drink like the folks of Veneto.

You may not know that Veneto is the top-producing region in Italy, the planet's top-producing wine country, but you know more than you think.

Readers of a certain age will recognize labels reading Soave and Valpolicella from childhood dinner tables. As the first Italian wines arriving in the U.S. post World War II, these subregions dominated sales, specifically from the family Bolla.

But Veneto was a victim of success, the same boom-and-bust fate met by German Riesling, White Zinfandel and merlot. Luckily, Veneto's modern byword is revival.

You also may not recognize Glera, Veneto's top-planted grape, but most wine lovers know Glera's wine, Veneto's fabulous fizz, prosecco.

Do you find comfort in noshing? It's a cultural imperative in Veneto's capital - Venice - where "Andiamo per bacari" translates as "let's go to a wine bar." That means daily connection with friends and acquaintances, over cicchetti (small plates) including polpette al carne (fried meatballs) and seppioline alla griglia (grilled baby squid).

Pair your cicchetti, as do Venetians, with prosecco or Aperol Spritz. Ask your retailer for recommendations. My all-time favorite prosecco pairing is with Italy's "stinky" cheese, Taleggio.

How about carbs? Veneto pairs rice with fresh spring peas in Rise e Bisi traditionally served to celebrate the feast of San Marco on April 25. Pair with Veneto's premiere white, Soave (pronounced soh-WAH-vay). My favorite:

Soave DOC "Il Selese" i Stefanini: More elegant examples exist, but this wine's freshness, minerality and notes of apple and raw almond make it my choice for an interesting and mouthwatering nightly quaff, under-$15.

Few dishes warm heart and soul like a slow-cooked stew. Vegetarians can relish in Veneto's Pasta e Fazioli (beans, thick noodles and vegetables). Carnivores tuck into Spezzatino in Umido alla Veneta (beef and wine stew), prepared and served with Veneto's red, Valpolicella (VAL-polih-CHELL-ah.)

Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC, Zenato: Huge and plush, like your softest, warm slippers on tired feet. At first opening, flavors of freshly-picked, ripe blackberries and spice. My favorite comfort food is often found on a late-night kitchen raid. Whether it's cold pizza or the hearty stews it complements, this Ripasso develops overnight in the fridge, adding concentration and earthy, mushroom flavors, sending me to cozy, comforting dreams. (About $25)

If your comfort isn't food, but a warming fire, comforting thoughts and a relaxing smoke, look for Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, a massive red vino da meditazione, to savor with red meats or meditations. Look for producers including Zenato and Tenuta Sant' Antonio.

And if it takes chocolate to get through your day, try Tiramisu, the gooey coffee-cocoa cake, often topped with liqueur and shaved chocolate. Serve with a dessert wine, like Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG. Whether invented in Veneto's bakeries or Veneto's brothels, a mouthful of Tiramisu will live up to its name: "Pick me up."

• Mary Ross is an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), a Certified Wine Educator (Society of Wine Educators) and recipient of the Wine Spectator's "Grand Award of Excellence." Write to her at food@dailyherald.com.

Ross' choice

Wine name: Valpolicella "Nanfre" DOC

Producer: Tenuta Sant' Antonio

Region: Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy

Vintage: 2017

Availability: Ask for it in boutiques and chains, under $15

Distributed by: Heritage Wine Cellars, Niles

Tasting Notes: Silken texture drenched with flavor - licorice, leather, plum, cinnamon - but without weight, like a luxurious silk-satin robe. Produced without oak, the wine satisfies as a cocktail and complement to rich veggie dishes and lighter meats. Elevate all your carryout - including pizza and ethnic cuisines - with this easy-to-drink, complex wine. Caveat: I found the glass cap confusing but others appreciate it. For a richer wine, ask for Sant' Antonio's Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC, "Monti Garbi."