WineDeals

It’s Friday! And it’s home made pizza for dinner which makes it even better.

The question of what wine goes with pizza is quite a common one. I’ve come across it a few times online so here’s a summary of points to consider. With all questions on wine and food pairings though it’s important to remember that each person’s taste is different so there are no hard and fast rules.

The traditional pizza with a topping of tomato sauce and cheese has evolved into a myriad of styles and toppings. This makes the question somewhat open ended. However it’s fair to say that pizzas are usually strong flavoured especially with the spicy and salty toppings that are often included in the form of pepperoni, anchovies, olives etc.

One of the premises behind good wine and food pairings is that the food shouldn’t overpower the wine and neither should the wine overpower the food. You want to be able to taste the characteristics of each. Therefore strong flavours in the food call for a big, robust wine to complement it.

Red wine is a traditional pairing with pizza and a merlot would be a good choice especially with a meaty topping such as pepperoni or sausage.

If you want a white wine it’s worth experimenting with a verdhelo. Verdhelos are lemony, zesty and acidic. They have a very clean, vibrant taste. Paired with pizza the acidity is more muted and toned down.

And for something different again a choice that is a favourite of mine, a sparkling red wine. Maybe not an obvious pairing with pizza but perfect to celebrate the end of the week.