The best pesto pasta wine pairing options are dry white wines. The most popular wine varieties to enjoy with pesto pasta dishes include Pinot Gris (i.e., Pinot Grigio), Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and Chablis (or a dry Chardonnay).
Pesto Pasta Wine Pairing: How It Works
Enjoying white wines, especially Italian whites, with fresh pesto, basil pesto, and other similar dishes is a long-standing traditional dish. The perfect pairings for pesto sauce are light-bodied white wine. As a rule of thumb, wine with pasta tends to emphasize red wine. Given that traditional pairing, you might wonder why the ideal pesto pasta wine pairing selections are white wines.
The reason for this traditional wisdom is simple.
When you make a pasta dish or order popular pasta dishes, these are typically made with tomato-based sauces or fresh tomatoes. The perfect pairings for tomato-based dishes are acidic wines, especially red wines.
In contrast, the classic recipe for pesto pasta sauces is more appealing when you match them with refreshing acidity. You don’t have to look hard and long for these wines. Just use the quality wine in the next section to enjoy your meal.
1. Chablis
The flavors of pesto pair wonderfully with a Chablis. Produced in France’s Burgundy region, Chablis is a well-known type of unoaked Chardonnay wine. All of these bottles come from Burgundy, a beautiful region in France that has been making wine for centuries.
The following bottles all work well as pesto wine pairing. Try all these over time to see if you find the perfect wine for your needs.
Louis Jadot Chablis
Louis Jadot is a French wine producer that I’ve enjoyed many times. This affordable bottle of wine from Burgundy has a rich flavor profile. In your glass of wine, expect to enjoy notes of apple and lemon zest. The wine also has a good amount of refreshing acidity.
Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin
Domaine Laroche prides itself on making Chablis with a classic mineral quality. The winery’s Chablis has won multiple awards, including the International Wine Challenge, the China Wine Competition, and the Concours des Feminalise. Produced in the Burgundy wine region, the wine’s flavors combine pear and peach. The winery’s entry-level bottles are ready to drink right away.
Samuel Billaud Chablis
Samuel Billaud is a Burgundy producer known for making Grand Cru and Premier Cru Chablis. The present winemaker has been active since 1815 when Napoleon was defeated. This wine works well with Italian pasta dishes that feature pesto. The wine is known for its striking mineral qualities and citrus notes.
Want to find out more about the wonders of Chablis? Take a look at this post about this wine: Chardonnay vs. Chablis.
2. Sauvignon Blanc
Italian food, including pesto dishes, also pairs well with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc
This well-known New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc white wine offers excellent value. You get an award-winning wine for less than $40 per bottle. The wine offers a mix of tropical fruit and green flavors. With a complete finish, you’ll enjoy each glass of this wine with your favorite pesto dish. Find out more about Cloudy Bay wines here.
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre
Produced in France’s Loire Valley, this rich wine has earned good scores from professional wine reviewers. The wine offers herbaceous notes that sets it apart from other bottles. The fruit notes and mineral elements offer an enjoyable tasting experience.
3. Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio
The next option for Pesto Pasta Wine Pairing is Pinot Grigio. I’ve focused on Italian wines for these picks so you can have an entirely Italian dining experience.
Jermann Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT
Priced at about $25 per bottle, this producer has earned an armful of awards, including a top on the Wine Spectator top 100. The wine offers robust acidity – perfect to match the acidity in tomatoes – and significant citrus notes of peach.
Vie di Romans Dessimis Pinot Grigio Friuli Isonzo
This full-bodied Pinot Grigio offers a memorable drinking experience. The aromatic wine offers a delight even before you take a sip. A creamy quality balances the wine’s acidity.
4. Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner is an Austrian white wine grape that is an underappreciated alternative to Italian wine regarding pesto pairing.
Weingut Emmerich Knoll Loibner Gruner Veltliner Federspiel
Produced in Wachau, the winery was established in 1825. The wine’s flavor profile combines citrus, white pepper, and mineral notes. You can also enjoy this affordable wine with Pad Thai.
Schloss Gobelsburg Renner Gruner Veltliner Reserve
This Austrian white wine comes from the Kamptal wine region of Austria. It offers good value for the price. The wine is generally sold for about $50 and has earned an average score of 92 from wine reviewers. The flavor profile for this wine includes fruity flavors like apple and mango. The flavors also include baking spices, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Classic Pesto Recipe
You can make many different types of pesto dishes, including pesto pizza, meat-based pesto, and pesto chicken. Let’s look at a more straightforward classic pesto pasta recipe as a starting point. According to Oh Sweet Basil, you can make this recipe in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- Pine Nuts
- Cloves Garlic
- Sweet Basil
- Olive Oil
- Parmesan Cheese
- Black Pepper and Sea Salt
- Penne Pasta
Cooking Instructions
Step 1.
Get your water ready by filling a large pot of water. Add a touch of salt to the water to aid the cooking process. Keep the water on medium-high.
Step 2.
Put a small skillet on your stove to cook pine nuts. Keep them, tossing them around, until they are golden brown. Remove the nuts from the heat once done.
Step 3.
Time to put your food processor to use. Put your garlic, pine nuts, and fresh basil. Process them until smooth,
Step 4.
While the processor is running, add a bit of olive oil and blend it for another 30 seconds. Put the completed mixture into a bowl.
Step 5.
Complete making the sauce by adding parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture until blended.
Step 6.
Take the paste, drain the water, and put the pasta into a large bowl.
Step 7.
Add the pesto and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with the pesto mixture.
Step 8.
Finish preparing your pesto pasta by adding a small amount of fresh parmesan.
Pesto Pasta Wine Pairing Conclusion
Enjoying pesto pasta with wine is easy. Pick up a traditional white wine pairing like Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc. You can also enjoy this pasta dish with Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, and Grüner Veltliner.
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