Pasta and Wine: Perfect Pairings
If you want to eat like an Italian, you should drink like them too!
Pasta and wine have been paired together for a long time. They’re some of the oldest pleasures in history, it makes sense to enjoy them together.
We’d like to show you what types of pasta pair with your favorite type of wine, and how to elevate a pasta dish by pairing it with the right wine.
Read further to learn more about perfect wine pairings
- What kind of wine goes with pasta?
- Do you drink red or white wine with pasta?
- What drinks go with pasta?
- What red wine goes with spaghetti?
What kind of wine goes with pasta?
The short answer is that all wine pairs well with pasta, especially if it’s your favorite wine. If the pairing tastes good to you, that’s all that really matters!
The long answer is that the pairing depends on what type of pasta dish you’re serving, or what wine you’d like to highlight during the meal.
Multiple wines can make great compliments for multiple pasta dishes:
- Pastas served with creamy sauces such as alfredo, pair excellently with light bodied white wines. Think Chardonnay or Chardonnay blends.
- Light or Olive oil based pasta dishes like Agelio e Olio and Spaghetti Carbonara are well balanced with crisp dry white wines like Sauvignon Blanc.
- Pasta with green pesto is known for it’s bright and light flavor profile and you can compliment it best with a rustic Sauvignon Blanc.
- Tomato based sauces can be high in acid, but can be balanced with a mellow medium-bodied wines like Zinfandel.
- Spicy pasta sauces will pair the best with a sharp dry wine to create a beautiful contrast of flavors.
It’s also important to consider what ingredients you serve with your pasta:
- If a tomato sauce based pasta dish is served with rich meats or creams, you can pair with a full bodied wine like Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Seafood pastas possess a mild and fresh flavor, and are best paired with a refreshing and slightly bitter wine like Pinot Grigio or Proscecco.
- For vegetarian pasta dishes, or ones with lots of vegetables we’d recommend a light wine with notes of citrus to highlight the freshness of the vegetables.
Do you drink red or white wine with pasta?
You can find a red or white wine to compliment any pasta dish, because both red and white wines have different notes and flavor profiles.
For example, fresh tomato sauce on pasta really compliments dry white wines but won’t pair the best with sweet white wines. If the tomato sauce includes meat, it will really highlight tart medium-bodied red wines, but may be overwhelmed by deep oaky red wines.
If you’re torn between red or white wine, split the difference and try a Rosé.
What drinks go with pasta?
Besides wine, there are several beverages that can elevate your pasta dish.
- For seafood pasta dishes, sparkling water with lemon will enhance the mild and fresh flavors of the meal.
- For pesto or vegetable dishes, try a Paloma cocktail or mocktail. Grapefruit possess a sophisticated bitterness that compliments nutty and earthy flavors.
- For spicy pastas, try Thai iced tea! It balances the notes of spice while keeping a refined flavor profile.
- For rich and creamy pasta dishes, try an Italian Shakerato. Shakerato is an Italian version of iced espresso. It’s usually slightly sweetened and shaken with ice cubes, resulting in a layer of foam on top. This may sound strange, but the simple bitterness of espresso compliments the richness of cream and fat perfectly! If that sounds too rich for your taste, try a berry flavored Italian soda.
What red wine goes with Spaghetti?
Typically, red wines such as Pinot Noir are the best pairings for classic handmade spaghetti.
This wine possess a lighter structure and notes of rose, mushroom, cherry and hibiscus.
This flavor profile enhances the familiar taste of classic Italian dishes like Spaghetti.
Pasta and Wine parings can seem super complicated, but we hope this guide helps elevate your next dish. All wines tastes great, and all pastas are unique in their own way. You can follow this guide to pair them together, or simply create a pairing of your choice!
Looking for pasta options to pair with your wine? Check out our pasta shop.
Buon Appetito!