Pizza doesn’t just have to be a greasy mess of carbs and dairy eaten in a frat house, with all of the artisanal pizza shops gaining popularity around the world it can often be a gourmet meal. That means you don’t have to consume it with a can of beer but can pair it with wine. Here are your best bets for how.
When heading out to dinner don’t think you have to have beer with your pizza. You can enjoy a healthier alternative in a glass of wine that is paired to what you’re eating so that it not only just goes, but enhances the flavor – like any good wine pairing should.
While you should always drink the wine you like, it’s never a bad idea to experiment with traditional pairings to see how they work with the flavors and then go from there. Or, work backwards, and pick your wine and then a pizza to go with it.
Follow The Standard Pairing Rules
Even though it’s outdated and rarely used anymore, you can always choose to follow the rule of red wine with red meat and white with poultry and fish. If your salad is hosting a slurry of vegetables in alfredo sauce, a crisp white will go beautifully. Digging into a taco pizza with lots of ground beef and spice? Pour a pinot noir or other spicy red to bring out the best.
Start With Your Wine
Have a favorite type of wine? Order a bottle and then follow our advice for how to select a pizza that will best be complemented by your wine choice:
1. Sparking Wines
Select a pizza with seafood toppings. Or, a plain cheese pizza – not matter the type of cheese, sparkling wine always goes well with cheese.
2. Sweet Whites
The perfect complement is a pizza with cured or smoked meats (bacon, pancetta). Not a meat fan? Your wine is best complemented by a pizza topped with cheese like goat and mozzarella. Another option is to order a dessert pizza (more common than you think) and enjoy eating it with a sweet white.
3. Dry Whites
Order up a pizza with green vegetables, roasted vegetables or fish for the best taste experience.
4. Light Reds (e.g. pinot noir)
: these wines will go best with roasted vegetables, shellfish and poultry.
5. Full Reds (e.g. Cabernet)
Keep it big with red meat, cured and smoked meat or, for the vegetarians, hard cheeses like parmigiano and manchego.
6. Port
Dessert wine goes with dessert pizza but also soft cheese and smoked or cured meats.
Whip Out Your Phone
Yes, indeed: there’s an app from Vinepair.com just for that. In the future when I want to include links I’ll do it from my desktop! –>an excellent app for pairing wine and pizza. Simply select the topping and whether or not you’re in the mood for red or white wine and it will give you an option.
Move over beer, pizza wants to class things up with some wine and we’ve found the ways to do it. Post in the comments with your favorite pairings, especially if you’ve been able to pair up more difficult toppings like asparagus and artichokes.