Anyway, I am increasingly of the opinion that Italian food goes exceptionally well with Belgian beer.  Which would explain why several of the craft breweries in Italy (inspired by the American craft brewing revolution) focus heavily on Belgian styles: http://www.bunitedint.com/portfolios/collections/beer/country.php?country=Italy They’ve figured out that Belgian style beers go very well with their native cuisine.

Gulden Draak is a Belgian strong dark featuring the typical spicy and dark fruity flavors of BSDs.  Something like red wine.  And BSDs typically compliment tomato-heavy Italian dishes very well.  I’ve had a lot of success on this front and will probably reach for a Belgian style beer nearly every time I prepare an Italian style meal for the foreseeable future.