Lasagne is a delicious hearty meal that deserves to be served with a glass of wine. However, not any wine will do. Lasagne needs a wine that complements the ingredients perfectly and uplifts the dish.
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Should You Drink Red or White Wine With Lasagne?
It depends on the type of lasagne. Red wine is the best option if the lasagne is made with bechamel sauce, ground meat, and tomato or ragu sauce.
The red wine should have a subtle fruity flavor and high acidity.
In contrast, if it is seafood, fish, or vegetarian, lasagne, white wine, rose, or sparkling wines are best. Red wine can easily overpower the delicate flavor of these ingredients.
Tips for Choosing Wine Pairings for Lasagne
These handy wine-pairing tips will help you choose the best wine for lasagne.
First, choose a wine with higher acidity levels than your lasagne. The acidity will help cleanse the palette of the rich lasagne.
Second, whether it is regular lasagne, vegetarian, seafood, or fish lasagne, do not pair them with oak-aged or tannic wines. These wines have intense flavors that can overpower the lasagne’s flavor.
What Wine Pairs With Lasagne?
Every wine does not pair well with lasagne. Luckily, you can experiment with these wines to find the ideal pairing that suits your palette.
Chianti Classico
Chianti Classico is an Italian red wine with a tart, herbaceous, fruity, and earthy wine. The dominant cherry flavors contrast beautifully with the rich, heavy flavors of the lasagne. Chianti Classico’s acidity helps cleanse the palette.
After taking a few bites of lasagne, your palette will become overwhelmed with fats and carbohydrates. The Chianti Classico will provide a refreshing taste, preparing it to take another bite of rich, delicious lasagne.
Vermentino
Vermentino has an almond flavor and a fruity aroma. Therefore, it’s perfect for lasagne.
Since Vermentino has a slightly astringent flavor, it works well with lasagne that contain pinenuts, cheese, and olive oil. The fruity almond flavor is subtle enough to complement the lasagne but not so dominant that it overpowers the ingredients.
Vermentino is not preferred for vegetable lasagne or tomato-based lasagne. The astringent flavor will overpower the flavor of vegetable or tomato-based lasagne.
Barbera
Barbera is a red wine that has low tannic activity and high acidity. Even though Barbera grapes are grown in other regions such as Argentina and Australia, Italy is well known for Barbera.
Barbera can be labeled as Barbera d’Alba or Barbera d’Asti. Barbera d’Alba is a full-bodied acidic red wine, while Barbera d’Asti is a light-bodied, slightly less acidic wine than its counterpart.
Barbera wine has dominant flavors of red and black cherries. However, it also has subtle flavors of minerals, spices, herbs, and earth.
Barbera’s fruity profile provides the perfect contrast against the heavy, savory flavors of the dish.
The subtle, less dominant flavors complement the creamy ricotta cheese and the acidic herbaceous tomato sauce.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular pairing for lasagne. The dominant flavors are tobacco, mint, vanilla, and cherry. However, Cabernet Sauvignon also has notes of spice and coffee.
A medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with tomato-based lasagne. Cabernet Sauvignon’s acidity offsets the rich, savory flavor of lasagne.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a fruity red wine with a light body. It has a refreshing flavor bursting with cherry and strawberry.
Even though Pinot Noir can be aged in oak barrels, the wine will still be acidic enough not to clash with the tomato-based lasagne.
Pinot Noir has an earthiness that pairs perfectly with mushrooms if your lasagne contains mushrooms.
While there are cheaper versions of Pinot Noir, it’s better to choose a higher-priced Pinot Noir so you can taste the wine’s full flavor. Cheaper Pinot Noir means low-quality Pinot Noir.
Sauvignon Blanc
Vegetarian lasagne was meant to be paired with Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is a dry, light-bodied white wine bursting with fruity flavors.
The fruity profile includes pear, peach, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits. There are also subtle hints of spice that complement the vegetarian lasagne’s fresh flavor.
Merlot
Merlot is a red wine that is one of the most popular pairings for lasagne. Merlot is a light-bodied red wine with low tannic activity and a smooth viscosity.
Merlot adds a fruity sweet flavor to meat and tomato-based lasagne, balancing the meal’s savory, acidic flavors. However, Merlot also works well with lasagne containing bacon, pancetta, and mushrooms.
Chardonnay
A bottle of Chardonnay is most white wine lovers’ preferred wine. It’s probably the most famous white wine on the planet. It is the perfect pairing for
lasagne made with a cream sauce or pesto sauce. It also works well with vegetarian lasagne or mushroom-based lasagne.
Chardonnay wine is the perfect balance of acidity and tannins. It is drier compared to other white wines, but it also has a subtle sweetness from the notes of papaya, mango, or pineapple.
The fruity flavor contrasts the delicious creamy lasagne, while the slight acidity cleanses the palette.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is another popular red wine pairing for lasagne. Zinfandel has a fruity yet bold and smoky flavor. It’s best to choose a Zinfandel wine that is not too cheap or too expensive. Cheap Zinfandel wines have a lower quality.
However, costly Zinfandels have high levels of alcohol and a sweeter flavor that overpowers lasagne.
Furthermore, pricey Zinfandel may also be oak-aged, which supercharges the tannins and gives the wine a bitter taste that can clash with the acidic tomato sauce.
A young Zinfindel is better for tomato-based lasagne. Young Zinfandels provide the perfect amount of fruity flavor that compliments the layers of pasta, tomato sauce, cheese, and meat perfectly while offering a refreshing bite.
Final Thoughts
Lasagne was meant to be served with a glass of wine. So pick up a bottle of wine mentioned on this list the next time you make lasagne and serve this rich, delicious dish the right way.