Drinking Wine With Pizza? Here's What You Should Sip

When you think of beverages that go with pizza, the first one that comes to mind may be beer. In fact, one brewery (Milwaukee's own Sprecher's) actually brewed up a pizza-flavored beer back in the '00s. A decade and a half later, a Chicago pizzeria countered with beer-flavored pizza. Still, your classic pizza comes with tomato sauce and cheese, which means that, just like pasta, it also goes pretty well with wine. (And yes, pizza-flavored wine was once a thing, too.) Dana Hokin, CEO of Robert's Pizza & Dough Co. in Chicago, offered several suggestions about specific wine-pizza pairings.

"Our go-to is Barbera d'Asti, a beautifully versatile red wine from the Piedmont region ... Its bright acidity cuts through the richness of cheese and tomato sauce, and the moderate tannins won't overpower the crust or toppings," Hokin tells The Takeout. If red wine's not your thing, she also suggests sparkling rosé, saying, "The fruitiness and acidity make it an excellent match for sweet, salty, or rich toppings." The former wine, she feels, would go as well with a veggie or margherita pizza as it would with one topped with sausage or salami. The latter would be perfect for the type of trendy pizza made with arugula, Brussels sprouts, or fig jam.

The type of wine that will best suit your pizza depends on the pizza itself. According to Dana Hokin, "Tomato-based pizzas do well with reds like barbera, chianti, zinfandel, or pinot noir, [while] white pizzas with EVOO-based sauces or lighter cheeses pair beautifully with sparkling rosé, grüner veltliner, or white burgundy." She also notes that slightly fruity wines are good for tangy or spicy toppings like balsamic vinegar, chiles, and sausage. If you've ordered a variety of pizzas, however, your best bet might be a dry sparkling wine, something she feels is suited for everything from pepperoni pizzas to white ones.

One of Hokin's favorite topping and wine combos is prosciutto and arugula with sparkling rosé, since, as she explains, "Rosé's acidity and berry notes perfectly balance the salty prosciutto and peppery arugula." She also likes this wine with pepperoni pizza — "The bubbles cut through the richness and spice," she explains — and even enjoys it with an artisanal pizza. "Sweet fig jam and balsamic glaze match beautifully with the red fruit in rosé; bubbles cut the creamy gorgonzola," says Hokin. For mushrooms, however, she prefers something different: "Earthy flavors combine with the bright acidity and creamy texture that is the elegance of the white burgundy."

Not all wines work equally well with pizza. As Hokin advises, "Avoid super-light wines without acidity, as they can get overwhelmed by the flavors in the pizza." However, she adds, "Every rule has exceptions, and some of the best pairings are the most surprising. Ultimately, drink what you love."