What Wine Goes With Pizza
Pizza and wine is one of the most underrated pairings in food culture. Italy figured this out centuries ago. The answers are simple, affordable, and genuinely delicious.
· 5 min read
Key takeaways
- Tomato-based pizza (Margherita, Napolitana, most classics) needs a wine with high acidity to match the tomato — Italian reds like Barbera, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and light Chianti are the natural answer.
- White pizza (no tomato, cream or olive oil base) pairs well with fuller whites or light reds — the richness of the cheese needs body in the wine, but without the tomato there's no acidity matching required.
- Sparkling wine — Prosecco, Lambrusco, or a Crémant — is an underrated pizza choice. The bubbles cleanse the palate between bites and cut through the fat of the cheese.
- Don't overthink it. The best pizza wine is the one that's cold enough, not too tannic, and makes you want another slice.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best wine for a pizza night with friends?
- Buy something unpretentious and delicious: Barbera d'Asti or a solid Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Chill it slightly. Open multiple bottles. For white pizzas or a vegetarian crowd, add a Verdicchio or Falanghina. If you want something fun and different: dry Lambrusco di Sorbara. Keep the budget modest — pizza is casual and the wine should match the occasion.
- Does Chianti really go with pizza?
- Yes — a basic, young Chianti (not Classico Riserva, not Gran Selezione) is one of Italy's most reliable pizza wines. The Sangiovese acidity is the key: it matches the tomato and cuts through the mozzarella. Don't open anything expensive or aged — pizza doesn't need it, and the food doesn't show the wine's complexity anyway.
- Can rosé work with pizza?
- Very well, especially in summer. A dry, acidic Provence rosé or a Tavel cuts through the cheese and matches the tomato's freshness. Rosé is also genuinely versatile across a table of different pizza styles — it bridges between white and red pizzas without fighting either.
- What about deep-dish pizza?
- Deep-dish has more dough, more cheese, more sauce — the richness is multiplied. Move up in body: a fuller Barbera, a Rosso di Montalcino, or a solid Côtes du Rhône. The extra weight of the dish needs a wine with a bit more presence. Avoid delicate wines — they disappear.
Not sure which wine to pick? Tell our sommelier what you are eating or the occasion and we will find the right bottle — or browse the full sommelia.ch collection.