What Wine Pairs With Pizza?

September 9, 2024 ·

Lambrusco, Barbera and dry rosé are the classic wines for pizza. Each has enough acid to stand up to tomato sauce, and Lambrusco adds bubbles that clear melted cheese from your palate.

The sauce and the toppings decide the pour. A margherita wants something light, and a white pizza with no tomato opens the door to Chardonnay.

Below, you get a wine for each of the 8 toppings Americans love most and for 8 regional styles, from Neapolitan to Detroit.

Acidic tomato sauceThe sauce sets the pairing, so match its acid
Melted cheeseMozzarella fat coats your mouth between bites
Salty cured meatPepperoni and sausage need a wine with more flavor
Many stylesNeapolitan, New York and Detroit each shift the match
Illustration of a margherita pizza with basil leaves and melted mozzarella
LambruscoSparkling red from Emilia-Romagna, served cool
BarberaPiedmont red with fresh acid and low tannin
Dry roséLight enough for basil and fresh mozzarella
ChardonnaySuits white pizza with cheese and garlic

What on a pizza matters for wine
Tomato sauce Tomato sauce Next to an acidic sauce, a soft wine tastes flat. Barbera has the acid to keep up.
Mozzarella Mozzarella Melted cheese coats your mouth. Lambrusco's bubbles and acid clear it between bites.
Basil Basil Fresh basil adds a green, herbal scent. Wine Folly matches it with a dry rosé.
Chili flakes Chili flakes Alcohol makes chili heat burn harder. Wine Spectator steers spicy food to lower-alcohol wine.

Wine for the most popular pizza toppings

Ranked by the share of US adults who said they love each topping in a 2023 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults.

Pepperoni Pepperoni Sangiovese or Cabernet Franc. Wine Folly picks both for pepperoni pizza.
Sausage Sausage Young Chianti, chilled. Decanter's Emily O'Hare says sausage can handle the wine's firmer grip.
Mushrooms Mushrooms Nebbiolo. Wine Folly pours Barolo, a Nebbiolo, with mushroom pizza; its acid cuts the cheese.
Peppers Peppers Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Franc. Both share bell pepper's aroma compound, and like flavors cancel out, says Wine Spectator.
Onions Onions Garnacha. Master Sommelier Catherine Falls matches it to a pizza of sausage, peppers and onions.
Bacon Bacon Cool-climate Syrah. Smoky, peppery notes in the wine match smoked bacon.
Fresh garlic Fresh garlic Skin-contact Vermentino. A white fermented on its skins, which Decanter suggests for garlic and basil.
Pineapple Pineapple Riesling or Lambrusco. Wine Folly picks both for Hawaiian pizza. Their acid resets your palate after sweet pineapple.

Wine for each pizza style

In the same YouGov survey, 27% of Americans named New York-style their favorite and 19% named Chicago deep dish.

Neapolitan Neapolitan Light red or aromatic white. Soft dough, fresh mozzarella and a bake of 90 seconds or less keep it light.
New York New York Montepulciano or a Grenache blend. Dry mozzarella and a thin layer of sauce put the tomato in charge.
Chicago deep dish Chicago deep dish Sangiovese. Time Out Chicago says its acid cuts through the thick layer of cheese.
Detroit Detroit Pet-nat or Champagne. Brick cheese caramelizes against the pan, and tart bubbles cut that richness.
Sicilian sfincione Sicilian sfincione Sicilian sparkling wine. Decanter pairs this thick pie of anchovy and caciocavallo with palate-cleansing bubbles.
Grandma Grandma Malbec and Cabernet blend. Robb Report sets a weighty red against this thin square with its light layer of sauce.
New Haven clam New Haven clam Chardonnay or Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Clams, garlic and pecorino with no tomato leave room for a white.
Roman al taglio Roman al taglio Franciacorta, an Italian sparkling. Decanter says its mousse dissolves the fat of the cold cuts on Roman slices.

Why these wines work with pizza

Tomato sauce is acidic, and Wine Folly calls the red sauce the focal point of a cheese pizza pairing. A wine with less acid than the sauce tastes flat beside it. Barbera, a Piedmont red with fresh acid and low tannin (the drying grip from grape skins) keeps up with the sauce.

Melted mozzarella and pepperoni oil coat your mouth. Sommelier Sean Crenny says the bubbles in sparkling wine cleanse that grease from your palate while the acid cuts the fat of the pepperoni and cheese. That makes Lambrusco, a sparkling red from Emilia-Romagna, and pet-nat, a sparkling wine bottled before its first fermentation finishes, easy matches.

Cured toppings add salt and spice. Wine Folly says pepperoni needs a wine with intense flavor to counter its fat, and Crenny points to Nebbiolo, whose firm tannin and acid contrast pepperoni and sausage.

Wines to avoid with pizza

Skip soft, low-acid whites with red-sauce pizza, since the tomato makes them taste thin. Save the rounder whites for white pizza.

Natural wines to try with pizza

How to serve wine with pizza
  • Serve pet-nat ice cold, 38 to 45°F (3 to 7°C), and Lambrusco cool, 54 to 57°F (12 to 14°C).
  • Serve rosé and Chardonnay fridge cold, 44 to 55°F (7 to 12°C).
  • Serve Barbera and Montepulciano cool, 55 to 60°F (12 to 15°C), and Nebbiolo a little warmer, 60 to 68°F (15 to 20°C).
  • A standard all-purpose wine glass works for every wine here.
  • Open sparkling wine when the pizza hits the table so it keeps its fizz.

Common questions about wine with pizza
What wine pairs well with pizza?
Lambrusco, Barbera and dry rosé suit most pizza. Pick a high-acid red for tomato sauce and a Chardonnay for white pizza.
What wine goes with pepperoni pizza?
Wine Folly suggests Sangiovese or Cabernet Franc, and Wine Spectator suggests a lighter-style Chianti. Lambrusco also works, since its bubbles clear the pepperoni fat.
What wine goes with margherita pizza?
Dry rosé or Barbera. The rosé suits the basil and fresh mozzarella, and Barbera's acid matches the tomato.
Is red or white wine better with pizza?
A high-acid red such as Barbera suits pizza with tomato sauce. For white pizza, which has no tomato, Wine Folly picks Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
Does sparkling wine go with pizza?
Sparkling wine works with most pizza. Sommelier Sean Crenny says the bubbles cleanse cheese grease from your palate while the acid cuts the fat.
What wine goes with BBQ chicken pizza?
Wine Folly suggests Malbec or another fruit-forward red to match the sweet, smoky sauce.

Sources

Keep reading

Read the Lambrusco guide Read the pet-nat guide Read the orange wine guide

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