Red or white with pasta? The sauce decides, not the noodle
Italians don't drink red wine with carbonara, and no Barolo with tomato sauce. Why that's no coincidence, which three rules you need to remember, and which wine from Piedmont turns risotto into a restaurant dish.
It's not the dish that decides, it's the sauce
Pasta is neutral. What determines the wine is what's on top of it. Remember three cases: tomato, cream, mushrooms and meat. That covers nine out of ten Italian plates.
Tomato: Sangiovese
Tomato sauce has plenty of acidity. A wine with too little acidity feels flabby next to it. Sangiovese, the grape of Chianti, has exactly the acidity it needs, plus cherry and a touch of herbs. With Pizza Margherita, Spaghetti al Pomodoro, lasagne: Rubicone Sangiovese, CHF 19.90, or something more robust, the Governo all'uso Toscano, CHF 28.90.
Cream and cheese: white with bite
Carbonara, Quattro Formaggi, risotto with Parmesan: fat and cream need a crisp white wine that clears the palate. Red wine with tannin turns harsh here. Pinot Grigio Piccolomini, CHF 19.90, or more elegant, the Lunissa Roero Arneis from Piedmont, CHF 29.90. The Arneis is a discovery: barely known, but the house wine of many Piedmontese with risotto.
Mushrooms, meat, ragù: earth to earth
Porcini risotto, Ragù alla Bolognese, sausage on pizza: here the wine may have more body. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the most reliable companion in this category, soft, dark-fruited, easy-going. Il Campione Riserva, CHF 21.90. For a Sunday roast, the Ripasso Classico Superiore, CHF 28.90.
Seafood: white or rosé, never heavy
Spaghetti alle vongole, Pizza Frutti di Mare: a red wine with a lot of iron makes seafood taste metallic. Choose white or a dry rosé. Sauvignon Blanc Piccolomini, CHF 19.90, or Chiaretto di Bardolino, CHF 21.90.
The short version for the fridge door
| On the plate | Wine | From our range |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Sangiovese | Rubicone Sangiovese, CHF 19.90 |
| Cream, cheese | Pinot Grigio, Arneis | Pinot Grigio Piccolomini, CHF 19.90 |
| Mushrooms, meat | Montepulciano, Ripasso | Il Campione Riserva, CHF 21.90 |
| Seafood | Sauvignon Blanc, rosé | Sauvignon Blanc Piccolomini, CHF 19.90 |
| Spicy (Arrabbiata) | Slightly sweet rosé | Vincello Piccolomini Rosato, CHF 19.90 |
