Before Eating At An Italian Restaurant, Check The Menu For These Types Of Wines

Whether you're in the mood for pizza and pasta or a plate of veal Milanese that Frank Sinatra himself would approve of, an Italian restaurant can be a real treat on a night out. But not all Italian restaurants are created equally, and it can be hard to know if trying a new place is worth your time and hard-earned money, especially if you don't have the time to scour the internet for reviews. Luckily, celebrity chef Scott Conant said in an interview for Tasting Table that there's a quick way to tell if an Italian restaurant is authentic and high-quality — by looking at its wine list. If the wine list prominently features Old World wines, according to Conant, it's likely that the restaurant is serious about authentic Italian cuisine and the wines that pair best with it.

According to Conant, New World wines, such as those from California and South America, are popular, but Old World wines, from parts of Europe with longstanding winemaking traditions, pair better with many traditional Italian dishes. Generally, Old World wines are known for their emphasis on terroir, which is the influence of climate and soil composition on the wine's flavor. Italian wines are often thought to pair especially well with Italian food because the food and wine were developed side by side to be enjoyed together, although you might still want to avoid the wines produced at Sting's infamous Italian vineyard.

While it's helpful to know that Old World wines are a natural accompaniment to Italian food, there are a lot of different Old World wines out there, and it's not always obvious which wine to pair with which dish. While restaurant servers can offer helpful advice when you're dining out, if you're cooking at home, there are some traditional pairing ideas that can help you find the right wine to match your meal. Traditional wine pairings are based on finding food and wine combinations that complement each other, with no element overpowering the other.

Traditionally, white wine is served with seafood dishes, and red wine is served with meat dishes. However, when it comes to Italian food, you might be wondering what pairs best with pizza or pasta, especially if the dishes are meatless. Chianti, an Italian red wine, pairs well with pasta and pizza dishes with tomato sauce. If you're enjoying a white pizza or a pasta with pesto sauce, though, you might want to try an Italian white like Pinot Grigio. Beyond that, you don't actually have to restrict yourself to Old World wines from Italy, so feel free to try a glass of French Bordeaux with your veal osso bucco, or German Riesling with a freshly made after-dinner cannoli.

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and The Takeout