Wine pairing
Best wine for pasta
Last updated
With pasta, the sauce decides the wine, not the noodle. Light, herby or cheesy sauces like pesto and cacio e pepe suit crisp whites, while tomato and meat sauces want reds with acidity. Here are the wines on our list we match with pasta dishes.
Quick answer
Pair to the sauce: crisp whites (Gavi, Frascati, Verdicchio) for pesto, cheese and seafood sauces; medium-bodied, high-acid reds (Sangiovese, Barbera) for tomato and ragù.
14 wines to pour
Fiano di Avellino
Fiano · Campania (Irpinia)
Hazelnut, honey and pear, full-textured. Serve at 50°F / 10°C.
Larry: “A white with enough body for chicken and pork.”
Gavi
Cortese · Piedmont
Crisp, lime and green apple, light. Serve at 46°F / 8°C.
Larry: “Piedmont's answer to 'what white goes with this?'”
Frascati
Malvasia and Trebbiano · Lazio
Light, lemony, easy-drinking. Serve at 46°F / 8°C.
Larry: “Rome's carafe wine. Order it with cacio e pepe.”
Orvieto Classico
Grechetto and Procanico (Trebbiano) · Umbria
Soft, apple and almond, dry. Serve at 48°F / 9°C.
Larry: “Cheap, cheerful, takes every pasta.”
Lugana
Turbiana (Trebbiano di Lugana) · Lombardy and Veneto (Lake Garda)
Round, citrus and almond. Serve at 48°F / 9°C.
Larry: “Lake fish and a Lugana. Life is good.”
Pecorino (wine)
Pecorino · Abruzzo and Marche
Herbal, citrus, high acid. Serve at 48°F / 9°C.
Larry: “Yes, it's a wine. No, it's not cheese. Pour it with the cheese anyway.”
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Trebbiano Abruzzese · Abruzzo
Light, crisp; top bottles are textured and age-worthy. Serve at 48°F / 9°C.
Larry: “The everyday white next to Montepulciano.”
Langhe Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo · Piedmont
Rose, cherry and tar, lighter than Barolo. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Barolo's personality at a weeknight price.”
Roero Rosso
Nebbiolo · Piedmont (Roero)
Floral, softer-tannin Nebbiolo. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Nebbiolo with the edges sanded off.”
Grignolino
Grignolino · Piedmont (Asti and Monferrato)
Pale, peppery, tannic for its color. Serve at 56°F / 13°C.
Larry: “Looks like rosé, bites like red.”
Valpolicella Classico
Corvina blend · Veneto
Light, sour cherry, easygoing. Serve at 58°F / 14°C.
Larry: “Pizza red. Slightly chilled.”
Schiava
Schiava (Vernatsch) · Alto Adige
Very light, strawberry and almond. Serve at 54°F / 12°C.
Larry: “Chill it. Drink it at lunch. Nap.”
Rosso di Montepulciano
Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) · Tuscany
Bright, cherry, easy tannin. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Tomato sauce's favorite Tuscan.”
Cesanese del Piglio
Cesanese · Lazio
Red berry, spice, medium body. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “The Roman red nobody outside Rome knows. Yet.”
Cooking it tonight? Start with Italian pasta recipes, then learn the basics in Wine Pairing 101.
Questions people ask
What wine goes with pasta?
It depends on the sauce: crisp whites for light, cheesy or seafood sauces, and high-acid reds for tomato and meat sauces.
What wine goes with cacio e pepe?
A light, dry Roman white such as Frascati is the local match.
What wine goes with pesto pasta?
A crisp, herbal white such as Gavi or Vermentino.
What wine goes with pasta in red sauce?
A medium-bodied red with good acidity, such as Sangiovese or Barbera.