Pasta and wine

Pasta and wine seem to be a combination made from the very start. Many Italian dinners pair various pastas with the wine that goes best with them. However, for those just learning, making the right pairings can be tricky. Some pasta dishes are heavier on cheese than sauce. Others have more sauce than cheese. Some have a meat base while others are full of vegetables. The choice of wine can be confusing. However, here are some recommendations.

White wines are usually more delicate than their red wine cousins are. This makes it a natural pairing with more delicate pasta dishes with seafood and vegetables. You might combine a white variety like Chardonnay with pasta and shellfish. A Pinot Grigio might go well with a Pasta Primavera. Orvieto, a dry Italian White, would work with Fettuccine Alfredo. Verdicchio, another Italian white, works quite well with pasta with garlic and oil. These combinations of pasta and wine retain the lightness of the dishes.

For heavier dishes, usually containing red meat, the pairing of pasta and wine needs to be a bit hardier. Barolo is a strong red wine that works great with pasta and meat sauce. Pasta Arrabiata, made with penne, often pairs with Shiraz. Pasta Puttanesca contains a wonderfully dense mixture of olives and anchovies. It pairs well with Bardolino, a lighter Italian red wine. Fruitier red wines tend to go with uncooked tomato sauces while drier red are better with cooked tomato sauces. Taking time to find the right pairing for pasta and wine will make a special dinner even better.