Pizza and Wine: A Match Made in Heaven, from Italy🍷🍕 

The first modern pizza was invented by a baker in Naples, Italy in the 18th century and became extremely popular with the Neapolitans who wanted an easy and delicious meal. Pizza later became popular in North America in the 1900s when Neapolitans began immigrating to North America, bringing their pizza recipes with them.

The rest of the world has embraced this popular and delicious Neapolitan fare and pizza can now be found pretty much everywhere. Many restaurants have tried to maintain the traditional Neapolitan recipes, however, there are many variations of pizza available today, all of which are delicious!

When pairing wine and pizza, focus on the pizza sauce and go from there:

🍕Margherita Pizza

Ingredients: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.

Wine Pairing: Pinot Gris/Grigio, Rosé, Barbera d’Asti, Gamay (Beaujolais).

🍕Meat Lovers Pizza

Ingredients: Mix of pepperoni, salami, ground meat, a few veggies, and a variety of spices.

Wine Pairing: Rosé (bold/deep in colour), Sangiovese (Chianti), Barbaresco (Nebbiolo) Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec.

🍕Cheese Pizza

Ingredients: Lots of cheese, maybe a bit of tomato sauce and a few veggies.

🍕White Pizza

Ingredients: Can have a variety of light proteins like seafood, chicken, or vegetarian with potato and mushrooms.

Wine Pairing: Prosecco, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir.

🍕BBQ Pizza

Ingredients: Often with chicken. Focus on that spicy sweet sauce with a fruit-forward wine.

Wine Pairing: Pinot Gris/Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Rosé (fruity), Zinfandel (Primitivo) or Shiraz.

🍕Veggie Pizza

Ingredients: Vegetables and light sauce.

Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Chenin Blanc, Rosé (light), Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc.

🍕Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredients: Pineapple, bacon, and cheese.

Wine Pairing: Riesling, Fiano, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Rosé (light to medium), Pinot Noir, Gamay (Beaujolais).

Cheers, The wine critic🥂