Most people think pizza and beer are the perfect pairings. But what about people who prefer who do not like beer? If you do not like beer, the next best option is pairing pizza with a glass of wine.
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Tips for Choosing Wine and Pizza Pairings
There is no standard wine pairing when it comes to pizza. The pairing relies heavily on the pizza toppings.
So it’s best to focus on the ingredients and pick a wine that complements the ingredients. The most popular pizzas include tomato, mushroom, cheese, white, and meat-based
Tomato-based pizzas work well with dry rose wines and light red wines.
White pizzas can be made from alfredo sauce or another sauce. White pizzas pair better with Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, and Falanghina.
Meat-based pizzas have a more robust flavor, so it needs soft, fruity wines such as Sangiovese or Barbera.
Mushroom pizzas have an earthy flavor that is complemented by Chianti. Cheese pizzas are balanced out by robust red wines such as Sangiovese or Anglianco.
What Wine Pairs With Pizza?
The wine pairings for pizza will be based on the toppings. Not all wines pair with all types of pizza.
Meat Lover’s Pizza
Meat lover’s pizza is a hearty, intensely flavored dish. For this type of pizza, you need a wine that will stand up to the robust flavors of the meat.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect pairing for meat lovers’ pizza. The fruity flavors lighten up the dish and provide a nice contrast to the rich flavor of the pizza.
Additionally, the high levels of tannins cut through the fattiness and cleanse the palette.
You can also serve meat lovers pizza with Malbec, Shiraz, or Tempranillo wine if you are not a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cheese Pizza
Cheese pizza usually features tomato sauce and lots of cheese. While the cheese is important, the tomato sauce stands out more since it has a sharp, acidic, and robust flavor.
GSM wines are an excellent pairing for cheese pizza. GSM wines are made from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre grapes. GSM wines have an unforgettable complex flavor.
It has notes of ripe sweet fruit, dried herbs like sage, and a sticky peppery, herbaceous finish. GSM wines provide the perfect contrast to acidic yet sweet tomato sauce.
Pesto Pizza
Pesto pizza is often topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, or other vegetables. However, the focal point of the pizza is the pesto.
Pesto pizza should be paired with light-bodied wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Grüner Veltliner. These white wines have herbaceous flavors that pair perfectly with the fresh basil in the pesto.
Margherita Pizza
Margherita pizza is a simple yet sophisticated pizza made from fresh mozzarella cheese, herbaceous basil, and acidic tomato sauce. Margherita pizza works best with light to medium-bodied wines.
For example, Pinot Grigio works well with Margherita pizza. Pinot Grigio’s acidic flavor is subtle enough to accentuate the pizza’s flavor without drowning out its flavor. You can also pair Margherita pizza with Rose or Sangiovese wine.
However, avoid intensely flavored wines such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon as they will ruin the flavor of the Margherita pizza.
Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni has an intense, robust flavor, which is the star of pizza. Typically, pepperoni consists of cured beef and pork and spices such as cayenne pepper, paprika, sugar, anise, and garlic powder.
Since the pepperoni is very fatty, it infuses the layer of cheese beneath its robust flavor.
Therefore, pepperoni requires a robustly flavored wine to contrast the strong pepperoni flavor. Sangiovese wine is one of the most popular choices for pepperoni pizza.
The fruity flavors of sour cherries, strawberries, red plums, and figs, as well as the hints of tomato, herbs, and tobacco, contrast with the strong savory flavors of the pepperoni, creating the perfect pairing.
Cabernet Franc also pairs well with pepperoni pizza. Cabernet Franc has an herbaceous fragrance with fruity flavors of raspberry, red plum, and strawberry and a peppery aftertaste.
The fruity flavors provide a nice contrast to the spices in the pepperoni.
Mushroom Pizza
Mushroom pizza is hearty and flavorful. The mushrooms give the pizza an earthy flavor and meaty feel.
Light-bodied red wines, including Pinot Noir or Beaujolais, work well with mushroom pizza. However, medium-bodied white wines, such as Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, provide a refreshing contrast to the hearty mushroom pizza.
Hawaiian Pizza
Usually, you want to pair pizza with a wine that has a similar flavor to the toppings. However, in the case of Hawaiian pizza, you want to do the exact opposite.
A sweet Riesling goes perfectly with Hawaiian pizza. The sweet wine contrasts with the salty ham and accentuates the
You can also pair Hawaiian pizza with Prosecco or Sauvignon Blanc.
White Pizza
White pizza pairs perfectly with white wine. Light-bodied acidic white wines like Sauvignon Blanc pair well with white pizza. The acidity cleanses the palette of the rich, creamy white sauce.
In contrast, you can also serve White pizza with Chardonnay which has a creamy texture. The acidic Chardonnay will cleanse the palate without overpowering the flavor of the white pizza.
Bbq Chicken Pizza
BBQ chicken pizza has a sweet, smoky flavor because of the BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce pairs well with the fruity flavors of Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir is light-bodied, and the tannins contrast perfectly with the chicken. However, the bitter flavor of the tannins does not ruin the flavor of the chicken.
You can also serve BBQ chicken pizza with Argentinian or Bordeaux Malbec. The silky smooth texture and high tannins will provide the perfect contrast against the sweet, savory, and sweet BBQ chicken pizza.
Bacon Pizza
Bacon is one of the best pizza toppings. The salty, crispy flavor of bacon pairs well with white and red wines.
You can serve bacon with sparkling white wines such as Cava. The bubbly texture will cleanse the palette of the bacon’s salty flavor.
If you prefer red wines, Garnacha or Tempranillo work best. The fruity flavor contrasts beautifully with the salty bacon.
Vegetarian Pizza
When choosing wine for vegetarian pizza, the trick is to choose a wine that does not overpower the flavor of the vegetables. Unoaked Chardonnay wines pair perfectly with vegetarian pizza.
Chardonnay has mild citrus and herbaceous notes that complement the flavor of the vegetables.
Sauvignon Blanc, Fiano, Rose, and Prosecco also work well with vegetarian pizza.
Final Thoughts
Pizza and wine, what could go wrong? Nothing, as long as you’ve got the right wine pairing for the right type of pizza.