Duane's Wine Blog

for the practical wine drinker

Blog Post #45 – Food & Wine (main course)

This time, I thought I would write a blog about wine & pizza. Yes, I know I already did one about my favorite pizza, but I haven’t done one yet about pizza in general. So, here it goes. Many of the following pizzas I mention might be covered by the Clinton Hannaford in the frozen foods section. Otherwise, you know where to get your preferred “pie”. As always, when pairing wine with food, the primary protein should be your first consideration, with sauces as a secondary option (especially if they are strong or spicy). Most of the wines I suggest can be purchased at Clinton Wine & Spirits or the Saratoga Wine Exchange. Of course, if you have a “local” wine shop you prefer, that would probably work, too.


My general rule with pizza is as long as it’s tomato based with mild or strong Italian cheese, you can’t lose with a Sangiovese, which means a Brunello or Chianti Classico. The stronger the flavors on the pizza, the more likely I would go with the Chianti. Most vegetables you might add wouldn’t change the pairing, as long as the base stays the same. I will cover some exceptions below. Once you start adding meat, things get interesting. With sausage & pepperoni, I might go with an Aussi Shiraz, unless it’s particularly spicy, then I would go with an Argentinian Malbec. With ground beef or steak, I would go with a Napa Cab. With ham/ bacon, especially prosciutto, I would stay with the Sangio. That covers the 5-6 most popular toppings, but what about the unusual ones?


If your preferred pizza is white cheese with simple vegetables, like spinach or green peppers, and has NO tomato base, then I would go with whatever pairs with the cheese (mild cheeses, Sauv. Blanc or French Pouilly-Fuisse ; stronger cheeses, Chardonnay or Spanish Godello). If you are going with something that is really spicy (e.g. Buffalo Chicken), then stick with the Spanish wines (tomato based, Tempranillo; NOT tomato based, Godello). If you are doing anything with fish (Anchovies) without any other meat, then go with a New Zealand Sauv. Blanc or Spanish Albarino. If there is “other meat”, it would be “stronger” in flavor or taste, so go with the wine that pairs best with it. Finally, if you like something really strange, like pineapple & ham, then I would suggest an Oregonian Pinot Noir or a NAPA Zinfandel. If I missed your pizza, just drop me a line and I will get back to you.


That should pretty well cover wine & pizza. Next time, I will return to Education and cover a few more wine producing countries. Be sure to check it out to see which ones I talk about. Cheers!