Wine pairing
Best wine for sausage and peppers
Last updated
Sausage and peppers is rich, sweet and a little smoky, so it wants a wine with bright acidity and soft tannins rather than a heavy, oaky red. Juicy southern Italian reds and fresh northern ones both work, and an aromatic white or a chilled rosato is a smart move when the sausage is hot. Below are the wines on our list that we pair with sausage and peppers, from the skillet version to the grill.
Quick answer
Pick a juicy, medium-bodied Italian red with good acidity — Barbera, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Primitivo or Nero d'Avola are reliable. For hot sausage, a slightly chilled rosato or an aromatic white like Gewürztraminer tames the heat better than a big tannic red.
17 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.”
Alto Adige Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer · Alto Adige
Lychee, rose and spice, aromatic. Serve at 46°F / 8°C.
Larry: “The only wine that can take hot sausage and win.”
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
Montepulciano · Abruzzo
Deep cherry-pink, juicy, dry. Serve at 50°F / 10°C.
Larry: “Summer sausage and peppers wine. Chill it and go.”
Lambrusco di Sorbara
Lambrusco di Sorbara · Emilia-Romagna
Pale, tart, dry, fizzy. Serve at 50°F / 10°C.
Larry: “Mortadella's best friend. Fizz cuts fat.”
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.”
Freisa
Freisa · Piedmont
Raspberry, rose, tangy; sometimes fizzy. Serve at 58°F / 14°C.
Larry: “Nebbiolo's cheerful cousin.”
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato
Ruchè · Piedmont
Aromatic, rose and spice, soft. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Smells like a flower shop, drinks like a red.”
Teroldego Rotaliano
Teroldego · Trentino
Dark, juicy, blackberry. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Alpine red with southern color.”
Lagrein
Lagrein · Alto Adige
Dark plum, chocolate, soft tannin. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Speck and Lagrein. Mountain dinner sorted.”
Morellino di Scansano
Sangiovese (Morellino) · Tuscany (Maremma)
Ripe cherry, soft, sunny. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Chianti that spent the summer at the beach.”
Rosso di Montepulciano
Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) · Tuscany
Bright, cherry, easy tannin. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Tomato sauce's favorite Tuscan.”
Bolgheri Rosso
Cabernet, Merlot and others · Tuscany (coast)
Ripe, polished, Bordeaux-style. Serve at 62°F / 17°C.
Larry: “Steak wine. Larry's grill approves.”
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.”
Negroamaro
Negroamaro · Puglia (Salento)
Dark, earthy, gently bitter. Serve at 62°F / 17°C.
Larry: “Grilled sausage with a bitter edge — perfect.”
Salice Salentino
Negroamaro with Malvasia Nera · Puglia
Ripe plum, spice, soft. Serve at 62°F / 17°C.
Larry: “The red-sauce joint classic.”
Cannonau di Sardegna
Cannonau (Grenache) · Sardinia
Warm, red fruit, herbal. Serve at 62°F / 17°C.
Larry: “Roast pork wine from the island that does roast pork best.”
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Nero d'Avola and Frappato · Sicily
Cherry, floral, medium body. Serve at 60°F / 16°C.
Larry: “Sicily in balance — sun and freshness.”
Cooking it tonight? Start with Larry's sausage and peppers recipe, then learn the basics in Wine Pairing 101.
Questions people ask
What wine goes with sausage and peppers?
A juicy, medium-bodied Italian red with good acidity, such as Barbera, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or Primitivo, is the classic choice.
What wine goes with hot Italian sausage?
Lower-tannin, fruit-forward wines handle chili heat best: a chilled rosato, a fruity red, or an aromatic white like Gewürztraminer.
Can I drink white wine with sausage and peppers?
Yes. A fuller white such as Fiano or an aromatic one works, especially with mild or chicken sausage.
What wine goes with grilled sausage?
Smoky, charred sausage likes a fruit-forward red such as Primitivo or Nero d'Avola, served slightly cool.