Everyone has a favorite pizza, and the right wine can make every slice better! Peggy Fiandaca, co-owner of Arizona's LDV Winery, shares her tips for pairing wine with pizza below, from a plain cheese slice to a loaded meat lovers pie, Margherita, and white pizza, along with a taste of the Sicilian pizza traditions she grew up with.
Tips for Pairing Pizza with Wine
If there is one food people are passionate about, it's pizza! Everyone has a favorite. Are you a deep-dish Chicago-style fan or a New York thin-crust fan that you fold and eat? Then there are the toppings, which can cause another layer of disagreement. Do you go for a plain cheese slice or a loaded meat lovers pizza? Whatever you choose, there is the perfect wine to pair with that mouthwatering pizza. Here are five tips to pair wine with pizza.
High-Acid Wines "Cut the Cheese." A wine's acid can cut through the creaminess of a rich cheese-laden pizza. Try a Grenache to balance the acid in the tomatoes or a spicy Syrah to add extra complexity to a plain cheese pizza.
Consider All the Add-On Flavors. When selecting the wine, consider the pizza toppings. Ham and pineapple will take you in a different direction than a pepperoni or sausage pizza.
Margherita Pizza Simplicity. Buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh tomatoes pair with Chianti Classico. Consider other medium-bodied reds like Pinot Noir from Oregon or Arizona Grenache.
Bubbles with White Pizza. Taking the tomato sweetness and acid away makes sparkling wine the perfect choice. Try a California or French Brut Rosé.
No Sweet Wines. Make a dessert pizza if you want something sweet.
Hear More on the Podcast
Watch this "Pizza, Wine Pairings & Sicilian Roots" episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast with Peggy Fiandaca to hear the stories behind the tips. Peggy and Lisa D. Smith start with a fall update from the vineyard, then settle into a warm and light-hearted conversation about Italian American heritage, growing up Sicilian in Chicago, and what makes a great pizza night, with plenty of wine along the way. You can also listen/download the audio version on Podbean.
Harvest and vineyard update: LDV's vines are heading into dormancy after a harvest that was a little smaller than expected but excellent in quality, with 18- and 19-year-old vines growing stronger in volcanic soil.
Fun in the tasting room: Peggy shares what's coming up in Old Town Scottsdale, including a Burgundy wine talk (comparing it to LDV's Grenache, the "Pinot Noir of the Desert"), Petite Sirah in November, trivia night, and two new wines arriving November 1.
Italian American heritage: Peggy's Chicago childhood, her Sicilian roots, why so many Italian immigrants came to America, the discrimination they faced, and the close-knit extended family and Sunday suppers that shaped the way she cooks.
Sicilian pizza: Thick, rectangular, and baked in an olive-oil-slicked pan for a crispy bottom and a focaccia-like crust, Sicilian pizza was a homemade Friday night tradition, loaded with sauce, cheese, and Italian sausage, and always with a little spice.
Wine term: Nero d'Avola: Sicily's flagship red is full-bodied with dark fruit and a volcanic-soil sense of place much like LDV's Syrah. It's a great match for Sicilian pizza, grilled meats, ragùs, and spicy salami.
Pizza and wine pairings: Peggy and Lisa talk deep dish versus thin crust, which wines cut through a cheesy slice, what to pour with ham and pineapple, Margherita, and white pizza, and why pizza for brunch with bubbles sounds like a great idea.
More of Peggy's Italian-Style Recipes
Learn more about LDV Winery at LDVWinery.com
Listen to more Big Blend Radio "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast episodes: wine-time-peggy.podbean.com
Check out Peggy's "Wine & Bites" Recipe & Podcast Digital Magazine!