Eats+Drinks
Pairing Pizza Pizzazz A few proposals for pair your wine and pizza perfectly.
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menting a flavor or cutting through it. Sometimes you find a wine that can do both! To demonstrate, I decided to take one of the most basic dinner items that is abundantly available wherever you go—pizza! Basic concept: dough, red sauce, cheese. Simple enough. But what makes each pizza unique is the toppings, which, when pairing wine, is what you need to focus on. I’ve broken down a few pizza styles to help you achieve the perfect combination for each bite.
Pepperoni and/or Sausage Pairings: Syrah, Zinfandel, Sangiovese When you start adding spicier proteins, this opens up a world of new flavor. Because of the high fat content, the spices in the meat seep into every ounce of cheese, so you need a wine that can keep up with cayenne, anise, or fennel! Syrah and Zinfandel both have spicier characteristics that will complement those seasonings, and Sangiovese is bold enough to counteract the heaviness of the meat.
PHOTO BY FRED LOPEZ
’m often asked the question, “What wine should I drink?” An incredibly vague question, but a good one. My reply is usually an equally vague, equally good followup question. “Well … what are you eating?” Wine pairings seem intimidating at first, but if you break down your dish and highlight the ingredients, you’ll find that it’s incredibly easy. Wine should be doing one of two things when paired with food: comple-
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