Mofo guide to pairing | Pizza
It's the epitome of comfort food, whether you’re getting delivery from your local pizzeria or going all out, hand-stretching your own homemade dough and firing up the oven. So which wines are you pairing? Here’s our classic match-ups, if you need a steer…
Chianti / sangiovese with a margherita
If in doubt, pair one Italian classic with another. This Tuscan beauty boasts a rustic charm that marries perfectly with a classic margherita pizza. Typically medium bodied, those notes of cherry and herbs will complement and contrast the tang of tomato sauce in all the best ways. It's like sipping on a liquid embodiment of the Italian countryside while munching on a slice of Napoli.
Barbera / shiraz with a loaded pepperoni or meat feast
For a meat-lover's paradise like a pepperoni pizza, barbera is a great shout. Bursting with dark fruit and a hint of earthiness, this Italian stallion is the perfect partner to tackle the richness of cured meats and melted cheese. Though if you’d like to keep it ‘strayan, you can’t go wrong with a Barossa shiraz.
Rosé with a veggie deluxe
Rosé might not be your first thought for pizza, but hear us out. When you're indulging in a veggie-loaded pizza with fresh, vibrant flavours, a dry rosé struts onto the scene like a summer sunset. Its crisp, chatty acidity and fresh, red fruit notes provide a bright, refreshing contrast to the veggies - perfect for a pizza party.
Grenache with a hot sausage & jalapeño
Time to throw a curveball with the fiery, bold spicy sausage and jalapeño pizza. McLaren Vale grenache more than meets its match, delivering a punch of juicy fruit and a touch of zing to match that jalapeño spice. A little like the rebellious cousin at the family reunion – unexpected, a little wild, but oh-so-fun. It embraces the pizza's heat like a seasoned pro, turning things up without breaking a sweat.
Pinot noir / nebbiolo with a tre funghi
Picture this: a fully decadent tre funghi (mushroom) pizza, maybe drizzled with a cheeky bit of truffle oil too. A direct flight to umami paradise. And a savoury, earthy pizza will more than meet its match with a pinot noir or nebbiolo, which should give you all the complimentary and contrasting notes that you’d ever want. Those earth, forest floor flavours of a developing pinot or nebb will slide in against that mushroom goodness - which will also act as the hype man for the red and darker fruits in the wine, turning their volume up and allowing them to provide a bright point of contrast.
Chardonnay with a smoked salmon/prawn/seafood bianco pizza
Would you expect anything different? The only tricky thing here is matching the style of chard to the size of the flavour - for bigger, smokier, garlicky toppings go for a bigger, classic Margs River-esque chardy; for lighter, fresher toppings go for a cooler climate drop like Tassie, Adelaide Hills or Mornington Peninsula.
So there you have it - six pairings that'll take your pizza night from mundane to magnificent.
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