Want the best wine with pizza? You’re about to find a few wine pairings that always work. There is just one catch to keep in mind. There is no single best wine for every type of pizza. The best wine pairing will be different if your pizza night involves white pizza instead of Hawaiian pizza.
Best Wine With Pizza: 6 Ideas
Pizza pairings with wine are a fun challenge because of the variety of pizza toppings. Finding the best wine pairing may get more tricky as you add more pizza toppings to your favorite pizza. If you don’t see your favorite pizza listed below, look for the closest example to try instead. Get ready – your pizza experience is about to become much more exciting! If you’re reading this in October – also known as National Pizza Month – why not try one pizza and wine combination every week?
Wait, What If My Favorite Type of Pizza Isn’t Covered?
The range of pizzas discussed below can only cover so much. If you prefer unusual pizza toppings, there are two ways to deal with those sorts of situations. First, you can experiment – try lighter styles on this week’s pizza delivery and a sweeter style next week. Second, you can boost your wine pairing knowledge further by reading one classic book: Big Macs & Burgundy. To learn more about this outstanding wine pairing book written with humor and style, read my review: 10 Reasons Why “Big Macs & Burgundy” Is The Best Food Wine Pairing Book In The World.
1. Pepperoni Pizza and Margherita Pizza Wine Pairings
A pizza night featuring one or both of these classic pizzas is easy for a wine pairing. Essentially, you are looking for wine pairings that match the tomato sauce.
My top recommendation:
-Italian Wines. I recommend picking up a bottle of Chianti Classico.
Wine pairings have a long-standing tradition that supports this pairing: what grows together goes well together. Tomato sauce-based dishes are a bit part of Italian cuisine and Italian wines.
-White Wines
Prefer white wines instead? There are a few options you can choose from. For example, pick up a bottle of Champagne (or less expensive champagne alternatives). Alternatively, a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc can also work well.
2. Meat Lovers Pizza Wine Pairings
Choosing a bottle of wine to go with meat-based pizzas is simple. For this example, let’s assume that your meat-based pizzas focus on red meats like pork (e.g., ham, bacon, and pepperoni) and beef.
-Italian Wines
Once again, Italian wines are your friend! In particular, your best bet is a bottle of wine containing Barbera, Nebbiolo, or Sangiovese grapes.
-Other Wine Options
You might want to pick up a bottle of wine from California. In that case, Food and Wine recommend Sonoma County Zinfandel.
3. Veggie Pizza Wine Pairings
Also known as vegetarian pizza, there are a few choices to keep in mind when ordering a veggie pizza delivery. Keep in mind that your favorite toppings might be different. If you prefer pizza toppings with intense flavors like garlic, you may want to pick up a more complex wine to keep up.
-Italian Wines
As with previous sections, we will start with Italian wines since they are great for every wine experience. Specifically, buying a bottle of Barbera d’Alba is well worth trying.
-White Wines
The other option here is to pick up a bottle of cool Sauvignon Blanc. Specifically, I would recommend picking up a Sauvignon Blanc from France.
4. White Pizza Wine Pairings
For variety in your pizza experience, it is worth trying a white pizza. In brief, a white pizza is a pizza that does not use tomato sauce. The most common cheese in a white pizza is Ricotta though you may see others. The lack of tomato sauce means we need to find different delicious wines to enjoy this pizza at the wine shop fully.
-White Wines
Your starting point for a white pizza should be white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. For a full Italian experience, you might also enjoy trying a bottle of Italian sparkling wine called Prosecco. Unfamiliar with Prosecco? Read the following wine comparison guide – Prosecco vs Champagne – for a complete introduction to the wine.
5. Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza Wine Pairings
Fans of the windy city’s famous pizza style, rejoice! Several types of wine go well with this classic pizza. Before you order pizza delivery, check your wine shop first.
-A Chilean Sauvignon Blanc
This dry white wine style from South America is known to go well with the deep dish style of pizza from Chicago
-California Chardonnay
At the wine shop, look for a bottle of oaked Californian Chardonnay. The richer flavor profiles offered by California white wines are robust enough to keep up with Chicago.
6. Classic Cheese Pizza Wine Pairings
The classic cheese pizza has been popular for a long time among popular pizza styles. From a wine pairing perspective, you have plenty of options. Consider the following wines, which have the flavor profiles to complement the wine.
-Red Wines
It is best to choose red wines for this pairing. A few options like Syrah or Shiraz, a medium body Cabernet Sauvignon. You might even pick up a bottle of California Zinfandel from the wine shop.
There’s no need to pick up a bottle of wine with bright acidity because the tomato sauce will contribute plenty of acidity.
Want To Watch A Wine Movie On Netflix?
When you order in for pizza night and have a bottle of wine, you might want to watch a wine movie too. I’ve got you covered. Check out this guide to the best wine movies on Netflix: 10 must-see films.
