The combination of spinach and caviar in the scallop dish can be tough on white wines with noticeable oak flavor. Both picked up an unwelcome bitterness. Unwooded whites such as fruit-centered California Sauvignon Blanc and Alsace Pinot Blanc performed well, both gaining extra intensity in the match. The tomato and eggplant flavors in the main dish drive the wine match. The natural acidity in the marinara fattens up red wines and helps emphasize their natural flavors.
Whites are workable, but reds can really sing.
In tastings for this menu, a gamy Italian red became even more gamy, and a Chianti Classico Riserva 1995 showed its natural cherry flavors, although the match also emphasized the wine's tannins. Better to find a red with less obvious astringency. A simple Chianti Classico with less tannin would do the trick, but the wine that matched best was a youthful De Loach Zinfandel Russian River Valley 1997. Its natural bright berry flavors become rounder and more supple with the food. You could pull out a favorite sweet wine to serve with dessert.