I am a food editor who grew up in New York City, so I’ve been eating amazing pizza my whole life. I also often drink wine with a great local pizza, and I find this to be one of my favorite pairings.
From the bold spices in my go-to pizza sauce to the rich cheese and acidic tomatoes, a great pizza will taste even better when paired with the right wine. But how do you know how to choose the right wine for your pizza?
“When pairing wine with pizza, I either like to either match the flavor profile or go with something complimentary,” said Scott Wiener, founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours and a pizza expert, in an email interview.
To do this, sometimes Wiener will start with the wine and pick a pizza that works best. “For a dry and refreshing wine like a Sauvignon Blanc for example, I like to start with a pizza style that’s light and direct, with simple clear clean flavors,” said Wiener.
Neapolitan or Roman Pizza al Taglio provide a nice starting point since they’re both simple enough to let the delicate and crisp notes of Sauvignon Blanc (Wiener recommends this one from Cavit) shine.
“This particular wine’s finish makes me lean towards a white pizza with post-bake stracciatella, ricotta, or mozzarella di bufala. I also think basil is a nice counterpoint to the wine’s tomato leaf / sage notes,” he said.
Crisp white wine can pair beautifully with a lighter, more classic pizza.
(Onderortel via Getty Images)
Pinot Grigio is a really fun one because of its refreshing flavors of citrus and green apple. “It’s fantastic with a pizza Margherita, artichokes, or red onions, and it works especially well with tomato-based pies,” said Wiener, saying sometimes, he likes to swap the traditional tomato sauce for fresh cherry tomatoes.
“Their fruity acidity leaves some nice room for the wine. And if you like a little heat, this is the wine to pour with a pizza drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey.“
White wines are fun to pair with pizza because they’re unexpected, but Wiener loves a good balanced and silky red like Cavit’s Pinot Noir for the more classic American pizza combos.
“It’s great with pepperoni and sausage but also sings alongside meatier veggies like sun-dried tomatoes and earthy mushrooms,” said Wiener, who likes a rosemary roasted mushroom pizza with fresh mozzarella and simple crushed tomato sauce with this wine.
“You want a wine with enough richness to stand up to those deeper, savory flavors. I think of the old school places with the word paneling and the brick ovens,” he said.
