Pairing wine with pizza? How do you choose? Well, I usually pick Chianti or Zinfandel. But I thought I would see what the experts say.

For Starters, Why Did I Choose Chianti and Zinfandel?

The Chicago Tribune explains my choices perfectly: “First, most pizza is salty, and a great wine quality to partner with salt is acidity. The same goes for the fattiness that the cheese brings. Cut it with acidity in wine. Chianti, the legendary sangiovese-based red wine from Tuscany, is a classic pizza pairing for this reason. It’s not too big on the body scale, and it’s simpatico with tomato-based sauces. Plus it’s from Italy, like pizza. But Italian pizza has become about as American as German hamburgers, so I like a nice, fruity zinfandel with my pie too.”

What About Non-traditional Pizzas?

What if your pizza is an Indian pizza? How about a white pizza? Or a pizza with potatoes? Or shrimp? Or tuna? That is quite a range of possible textures and flavor combinations. Let’s check out what the experts say.

Thirsty Bear’s Recommendations

Thirsty Bear starts by telling us that “High-acid wines act like a palate cleanser, cutting through cheese fat and tomato sauce richness. Each sip refreshes your mouth, preparing it for the next bite. This creates that perfect back-and-forth rhythm where food and wine enhance each other instead of competing.”

Here are their recommendations:

• – Cheese pizza: Sangiovese-based Chianti Classico or Barbera is perfect.
• – Pepperoni and meat pizzas: Sangiovese still works, but a bolder Syrah
• – Margherita pizza: A dry Rosé made from Grenache hits perfectly.—its slight fruit complements basil while acidity balances cheese. 
• – White pizza: “Medium-bodied reds with lower tannins excel here. Pinot Noir is ideal, offering enough weight for cheese without clashing with garlicky  white sauce.” 
• – BBQ chicken pizza: “BBQ chicken’s sweetness and smokiness need bold wines. Argentine Malbec matches the smokiness beautifully while providing enough fruit for sweetness. Zinfandel’s jammy character works similarly, complementing BBQ sauce’s flavors.”
• – Hawaiian pizza:” Hawaiian’s pineapple and ham create sweet-salty complexity. Off-dry Riesling balances pineapple sweetness while refreshing the palate. If you prefer red, lighter Sangiovese or even fruity Zinfandel can bridge sweet and savory elements.”

A Few Tips for Pairing Wine with Pizza

So how do you find the wine to match all these different pizza options? Here are a few tips to help you out.

• Avoid wines that are too powerful, tannic or oaky. These can weigh down your pizza experience, making everything feel heavy and, believe it or not, a bit metallic.
• Go Italian. Since pizza is the perfect Italian comfort food, why not have some fun with Italian wine? And the great news is that Italian red wines are noted for their high acidity, which is perfect for acidic tomato sauce and fatty cheese.
• Opt for red. Pizza’s earthiness tends to work better with red wine. If you must have white wine, not a problem. But if you can handle red wine, you’ll probably be happier.
• Don’t forget the fruit and the savoriness. It’s nice to have juicy fruit flavors in the wine, as well as savory flavors, to help bring out the flavors of the toppings and the dough.

Bottom line, it would be hard to find a truly bad wine/pizza combination. So when it comes to pairing wine with pizza, I don’t think you need to get too stressed out. But I hope you find the tips helpful, and I hope you enjoy VinePair’s app.