What have been some pizza and wine pairings that you have especially enjoyed?
Pizza is diverse in flavors, ranging from the simple to the gourmet and complex. Even a cheese and tomato pizza can be quite special! Lots of folks go with beer, me included. I am going to make an effort to start pairing a wine with our weekly pizza haul - we take out a small cheese, a pepperoni, and a garlic pizza just about every Tuesday evening in the summer. Piece or two of each; good for a few meals. Bonus question: What wine might work with our three pizzas?
Can always go with something Italian: unoaked barbera, dolcetto, rosso di Montalcino (less oak and more open than regular Brunello), a mencia or mix from Ribeira Sacra or other green Spain; Cotes du Rhone…and more!
But the OP defined three things as pizza. We make pizza once or twice a week just because it’s so easy and fast. Our version is the traditional one - some dough with stuff on it. Not always anything tomato-related, and never mozzarella or pepperoni or green vegetables or God forbid, pineapple.
But pretty much whatever cheese is in on hand and maybe some pieces of meat, esp ham, and lately since there’s so much basil around, some pesto.
With those things, we’ve had virtually every type of wine, white, red, and rosé. With the pepperoni thing, I can’t imagine. Maybe Zin. But pepperoni is so greasy and depending on who made it, maybe it’s really spicy or not at all. And mozzarella is so bland and tasteless once it’s melted, you might want a crisp white. If there’s a lot of tomato sauce, and it’s made in a sweet style for some reason, I’d go with a GSM, which would actually pair with any of your styles.
So for any typical red sauce pizza toppings (e.g. pepperoni, sausage, onions) I absolutely love the ‘Flora & Fauna Red Wine’ from Idlewild (formerly known as ‘The Bird’). I have opened cases of this wine with pizza, and it is always great.
I once read an old thread on this board where someone talked about drinking through most of their case of 1990 Verset with pizza and about died of envy. But I could totally see it
For Neapolitan style pizza my favorite pairing is Fiano do Avellino.
As far as pairing all three of your pizza selections, white or rose will work with the garlic. I think it takes a robust red to stand up to garlic, so not Chianti or Pinot Noir.
We make pizza often, actually my pizza wizard wife does. After living in NJ all our lives she decided that California pizza just doesn’t cut it. Actually it sucks big time . She changed that by making her own.
Our go to pizza wine is Idlewild Fauna and Flora Red Wine. The combo of early picked Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo is perfect with virtually any pizza type.
Here is the wine and a few of the pizza. There are many many more.
Idlewild Fauna and Flora Red Wine
NJ Sausage and Pepper
Sausage, mushroom, broccoli rabe
Chorizo, bacon, corn, peaches
Fig, Prosciutto, balsamic, arugula
I’m usually a fan of Oregon Pinot Noir, cru Beaujolais, Trousseau, and that Blueberry wine you tasted at the Vertical dinner with most pizza. The garlic is going to be the toughest part in this pairing in my mind. For me I’d want something like Chablis of Sancerre with that slice. We’re gearing up for the wedding party with family this weekend and I will be opening your gift to share with our family. I just wanted to say thank you again.
For pizza with tomato sauce or better yet, sliced fresh tomatoes, I prefer Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio. The greater the proportion of Piedirosso the better. If you start piling on meats like sausage or pepperoni then a basic aglianico can be nice.
We often have a white pizza with bacon and mushrooms from a local place that is difficult to match because of the garlic in the ricotta sauce. If they cook it well then the garlic isn’t as strong and a Sonoma or central coast pinot can be fine but often I go with a white like fiano or Greco.
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. She changed that by making her own.
