Bottle Guides
The Best Wine To Pair With Pizza
By Aimee Rizzo
Wine and pizza have been chummy for a long time. And whether your ideal grape-juice-and-slice scene involves a floppy delivery pie while slugging grenache from the bottle alone or channeling BDE by way of your new Ooni oven that kisses homemade wood-fired margheritas with blustery char bubbles while simultaneously kissing your friends asses, there’s a vino for that. From chilled sparkling reds that go hand-in-hand with crushed san marzanos and cured meat to refreshing whites to complement tomato-less experiences, here’s what to pair with your next pizza night.
For a blistered Neapolitan pie sprinkled with Calabrese salami, pickled chiles, and hot honey (a.k.a. the greatest topping trio in existence), you sorta need this evil cranberry juice equivalent to combat all of that angry heat. Piggy Pop Pét Nat has this bitter, high ABV, plummy backbone that I probably wouldn’t want to gulp by itself, but in terms of washing down a spicy, pork-y pizza, it really works. Even if it does taste like black cherry soda that’s had a hex cast upon it by a wicked sorcerer.
When pairing wine with pizza, red pies tend to get all the attention, those greedy b*tches. But a spectacular tomato-free white pie is something to be celebrated here, and if you’re going in on one topped with a variety of cheeses and maybe some peppery arugula dressed with lemon vinaigrette, Old Love is a fantastic partner. Every slurp has this grassy raw snap pea thing going on that’s hella harmonious with fresh greens and creamy ricotta, and an acidic edge practically invented for the consumption of rich guanciale or prosciutto. Add an herby pesto swirl? Mercy me.
You may not be surprised to see this one, because sometimes you just need a fruity, chillable, easy red that’ll give pep to your ‘roni and shove canned san marzanos into the spotlight. This aptly-named malbec, syrah, grenache, and pinot noir blend does the trick gorgeously. Earthiness from liquorice-y fennel-spiked slurps helps activate dried oregano with as much finesse as the five rings from Captain Planet coming together, and juicy blackberry compote vibes cut through any puddles of olive oil and salted sausage grease while toning down leftover heat from chili flakes and the like. But be warned - it has a bit of a peppercorny kick of its own.
Not all pizzas can be winners. Some serve the sole purpose of just being pizza, and sometimes that’s enough. But if you’re stuck with an average delivery pie, you can enhance that experience with a superb bubbly red, and for that, I love this carbonated valdiguié. It has all the kinda-syrupy concord richness of grape pop with just a twist of tarragon to groove with basil-packed tomato sauce. If you need to effortlessly amp up a plain cheese pizza and simultaneously feel like sipping on a melted purple Slurpee, this is your choice (and sorry if it’s sold out everywhere by the time you read this, what can you do).
This is a fizzy chardonnay for Team Pineapple-On-Pizza: I see you, hear you, and respect your wishes. The tropical shrub-like bubbles that lurk inside a bottle of Borachio’s Fruit Zone are meant for Hawaiian pies like LMFAO songs were meant for the years 2010-2012 and those years only. Sporting an uncanny resemblance to slushified tiki cocktails bursting with lilikoi tartness, it completes the puzzle alongside sweet caramelized pineapple and smoky ham (or bacon, depending on which pork player you choose). As an added bonus, the sorbet-ish refreshment of this sparkling wine helps extinguish the fire of seedy jalapeño slices.
Lest we forget, there’s a pizza we haven’t covered yet. I’m talking about Detroit-style - thick, puffy pan pies with splotches of bold tomato sauce, blankets of mozzarella, and lacy caramelized edges. For that, you’ll want something light enough to play with all that Midwestern denseness, but still can hold its own. For that, I choose Libertine’s Acid Freak. Sure, it’s a rosè, but you better believe it’s not the frilly princess-pink kind. Deep, with syrupy sour cherry snow cone vibes and a hibiscus iced tea tang that goes hand-in-hand with focaccia-like crust and melted brick cheese. The smoky bar nut rinse at the end will come in handy, should you add bacon on top.