Pizza is the ultimate comfort food – endlessly adaptable and always a crowd-pleaser. Whether it’s a simple slice of Margherita or a fully loaded meat feast, choosing the right wine can take your dinner to the next level. So here’s a guide on how to match your wine to your favourite pizza style, with pairings that are easy and delicious.
Margherita Pizza
The classic Margherita – tomato, mozzarella, and basil, is all about fresh, simple flavours. The bright acidity of the tomato sauce needs a wine that can match its energy without overpowering the cheese and herbs.
A medium-bodied red with good acidity is your best bet. Chianti and other Sangiovese-based wines are perfect here, offering vibrant cherry fruit, herbal notes, and just enough structure. Valpolicella works beautifully too – fresh and juicy, with soft tannins that won’t overwhelm the dish.
Pinot Noir is another excellent option – light-bodied with bright red fruit making it a great match. If you prefer white, then a crisp Pinot Grigio or a dry Italian white like Vermentino will be good options.
Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni brings spice, salt, and plenty of richness, so the wine needs bold flavours and enough body to keep up.
Full-bodied reds like Shiraz, Zinfandel or Malbec are great choices. Their bold fruit, warm spice, and firm structure help balance the intensity of the pepperoni.
If you want something a touch lighter but still assertive, Chianti can hold its own here too.
Meat Lovers Pizza
Packed with sausage, bacon, ham, and pepperoni, a meat lovers pizza needs a wine that can meet it pound for pound.
Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent fit – bold, structured, and full of dark fruit, it can handle the fattiness of the toppings. Zinfandel and Malbec are also great options here, offering generous fruit, moderate tannins, and a touch of spice that complement the smoky, salty meat.
If the pizza has a spicy kick, look to a Shiraz or a bold Grenache for extra flavour without losing balance.
Vegetarian Pizza
With a mix of vegetables – think peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, and artichokes, vegetarian pizzas are often earthy, sweet, and savoury all at once. You want a wine that’s fresh and expressive, without overwhelming the ingredients.
Pinot Noir is a great red option: light, fruity, and subtle enough to let the veg shine. If your pizza includes mushrooms or roasted tomatoes, a Chianti or Dolcetto can add a bit of depth and savouriness.
If you’re going white, Sauvignon Blanc is a classic choice – bright, citrusy, and herbaceous, especially good with green vegetables or artichokes. Pinot Grigio or a light unoaked Chardonnay can also work well, especially with roasted veg or creamy cheese toppings.
Four Cheese Pizza (Quattro Formaggi)
Rich, indulgent, and intensely savoury, a four-cheese pizza usually combines a mix of cheeses like mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, and parmesan – creating layers of creaminess and salt.
This kind of pizza calls for a wine with enough acidity to cut through the richness and enough character to match the bold flavours. A lightly oaked Chardonnay or a textured white from the Rhône (like a Marsanne/Roussanne blend) works beautifully, adding roundness without losing freshness.
If you’re in the mood for red, try a juicy, low-tannin wine like Dolcetto, Barbera, or even a fruit-forward Pinot Noir. These reds bring brightness without fighting the cheese, letting those salty, creamy layers shine.
White Pizza (No Tomato Sauce)
White pizzas skip the tomato and focus on creamy cheeses, garlic, herbs, and sometimes extras like spinach or mushrooms. Without the acidity of tomato sauce, the wine needs to provide a little contrast – or lean into the richness.
An oaked Chardonnay is ideal here. Its buttery texture and subtle oak match the creaminess of the cheese while adding a touch of spice and weight. For something lighter, Pinot Grigio offers clean, crisp contrast, cutting through the richness with ease.
Viognier is another great choice – aromatic, floral, and gently fruity, it brings a fragrant lift to a white pizza without overwhelming it.
Mushroom Pizza (Funghi)
Earthy, savoury, and loaded with umami, mushroom pizza is a favourite for those who love depth of flavour. Whether it’s simply topped with button mushrooms or finished with truffle oil, it calls for a wine that can mirror its complexity.
Pinot Noir is a perfect match – especially those with earthy undertones and red berry fruit, which highlight the mushrooms beautifully. For something a little more robust, try a Nebbiolo or Barbera, which bring savoury notes and bright acidity.
On the white side, look to an aged Chardonnay or a nutty Chenin Blanc – both bring texture and just enough freshness to complement the mushrooms.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Smoky, sweet, and savoury all at once, BBQ chicken pizza typically replaces tomato sauce with BBQ sauce and pairs it with grilled chicken, onions, and melted cheese.
Wines with bold fruit and a touch of spice work best here. Zinfandel is a standout choice – juicy, spicy, and bold enough to stand up to the BBQ flavours. Malbec and Grenache also bring generous fruit and soft tannins that match the smoky-sweet profile of the sauce. For a lighter twist, try a dry rosé with a bit of body – especially from Spain or the south of France.
Hawaiian Pizza (ham and pineapple)
The mix of sweet pineapple and salty ham makes Hawaiian pizza a surprisingly good candidate for wine pairing – as long as you pick a wine that can play off both the sweet and the savoury.
An off-dry Riesling is a top choice. Its slight sweetness balances the pineapple, while the acidity handles the cheese and ham.
If you’re sticking to reds, Pinot Noir is light enough not to overpower the fruit, and its bright acidity helps bring everything into focus. Sangiovese is also a good option – its tangy cherry notes and savoury finish can handle both ham and pineapple with ease.
Spicy Toppings (e.g., spicy sausage, jalapeños, chili flakes)
Spicy pizzas bring the heat – and that calls for a wine that can cool things down, not fan the flames. Go for something juicy, low in tannin, and possibly with a touch of sweetness.
Zinfandel’s bold fruit and peppery finish make it a natural choice. Grenache is another winner: smooth, berry-driven and easy-going, it brings just enough body to match the heat.
And don’t forget sparkling wine. A glass of Prosecco or Cava is excellent with spice – the bubbles refresh your palate, while the slight sweetness and acidity balance the chilli kick.
