What Wine Goes With Pizza ?

Anastasia Beer
18 hours ago
6 min read

Pizza is one of my all-time favourite meals. It’s comforting, versatile, filling, and simple. It can be enjoyed on the sofa in winter in front of a good film, around a table playing a board game with friends, or outside on a lovely summer’s day. It’s a great dish to share with friends, family, a loved one, or by yourself, just like wine. Which is perfect, because both go really well together !

Pairing pizza with wine can seem a bit daunting at first (or maybe pointless to some) because of the endless possibilities of toppings and the simplicity of the dish, which can influence your wine choice. But in reality, it’s not complicated at all. Pizza is a simple meal, so the wine should be too. No fuss.

Now, a lot of the time, rosé is the go-to wine for pizza. It’s light, refreshing, and its delicate aromas don’t overpower the richness of the dish. We’re going to talk about rosé with pizza, of course, but whites and reds can also work beautifully with this Italian classic. So let's get our glass and pizzaiolo hat on, and see what wine goes with pizza !

What should you consider when pairing wine with pizza?

When choosing a wine to go with pizza, we’re really looking at two key elements: the base and the toppings.

Most pizzas fall into two main categories when it comes to the base: tomato-based or cream-based. From there, the toppings can vary widely, cheeses, meats, vegetables, olives, anchovies, and more. Each combination influences the style of wine that will work best alongside it.

If I had to match a wine to every pizza that exists on this planet, we’d all be here a very long time, so for your sake (and mine) I’m going to stick to the basics. And no, I will not be pairing pineapple pizza with wine.

What wine goes with cream-based pizzas?

A useful general rule is that with richer, cream-based pizzas, you want a wine with freshness and acidity. The goal is to cut through the richness of the cream and cheese, making the overall experience feel lighter and more balanced.

This is the same principle we use when pairing wines with dishes like fondue or raclette: we look for bright, lively wines that refresh the palate between bites. For example, a crisp, zesty white such as Picpoul de Pinet (the one by la Croix Gratiot on the left is a perfect example) works beautifully with cream-based pizzas. Its natural acidity and freshness help balance the richness of the cheese and cream. Similarly, more structured and mineral-driven whites like Sancerre or Chablis are excellent choices, especially with pizzas that feature goat’s cheese or multiple cheeses. Their acidity and purity of fruit help lift the dish and prevent it from feeling too heavy.

Basically, when dealing with creamy, cheese-heavy pizzas, priotise freshness, acidity, and vibrancy, wines that cleanse the palate and prepare you for the next bite.

What wine goes with tomato-based pizzas ?

When it comes to tomato-based pizzas, things become a little more complex. Tomato is naturally high in acidity, which can make it surprisingly challenging to pair with wine. If the balance is off, the tomato can make the wine taste sharper, flatter, or even slightly metallic.

A classic rule of thumb is to pair Italian tomato-based dishes with Italian wines. Take dishes like spaghetti bolognese or lasagna, they often feel most natural alongside Italian reds because they are made with that local food culture in mind. This is a general tendency you’ll often see in wine pairing: wines and dishes from the same country or even the same region, tend to go naturally well together.

However, as this is a Languedoc-based guide, we’ll focus mainly on wines from the region. For those who may not have access to these wines, especially if you’re reading from abroad, you can look for similar grape varieties or wine styles to recreate the pairing.

The good news is that tomato-based pizzas offer a lot of flexibility. You can work with rosé, red, or even white wines depending on the toppings and overall style of the pizza.

Light reds

If we start with reds, the key is to choose something light, fruity, and low in tannins. We want freshness and drinkability rather than structure or power, otherwise the wine risks overpowering the pizza. A light red works particularly well with meaty tomato-based pizzas, where there is enough flavour and texture to support it. However, caution is needed with spicy pizzas such as pepperoni. Even relatively soft tannins can amplify the heat of the spice and throw the balance off. In these cases, red wine is often not the best choice. Here in the Languedoc, many wineries produce beautifully light, fruity reds that are perfect with pizza, easy-drinking and generous.

Que du Grenache (IGP Saint-Guilhem le Désert, 2022) by Villa Dondona : one of my all-time favourite reds. I actually chose this wine for the Camp Joy retreats in Cotignac last June, where we made our own oven-baked pizzas. I like to call it “summer pudding in a glass”, need I say more?
Le Vin de Copain (IGP Cévennes, 2024) by Domaine de Trépaloup : a very fruit-forward wine with bright red fruit notes, incredibly easy to drink and exactly the kind of bottle you want to share with friends over a pizza (the name says it all).
Rouge Cerise (Pays d'OC IGP, 2024) by Domaine la Croix Gratiot : light, juicy, and full of fresh cherry flavours, this is a beautifully gourmand wine that works effortlessly with simple dishes.. like pizza!

For my readers across the pond who may not have access to these wines, look for reds made from Cinsault, Grenache, Gamay, or Pinot Noir, in fresh, unoaked styles with a lower alcohol level (around 13.5% or below). These wines are typically light, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, perfect for pizza.

Rosé

If we want to opt for our favourite pink drink, then we want a dry and fresh rosé. Rosé brings enough acidity to match the tomato while staying soft and refreshing on the palate. It works especially well with spicy pizzas, but also with vegetarian toppings, where the goal is to complement rather than dominate the flavours. With vegetable-based pizzas, rosé remains a safe and elegant choice, enhancing the freshness of the ingredients without masking their delicate character. It brings that easy-drinking, refreshing quality that works so well with lighter Mediterreanean dishes. You want to look for rosés made from grapes like Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, or Mourvèdre, especially in southern French styles. These tend to give that perfect balance of freshness, red fruit notes, and subtle structure without overwhelming the dish.

White wines

White wines can also work surprisingly well with tomato-based pizzas, especially when the toppings bring extra salinity or complexity. A great example is a Neapolitan-style pizza with anchovies and capers. In this case, fuller-bodied whites such as Viognier, a warmer-climate Chenin Blanc, or Vermentino can be excellent matches. Their aromatic richness and round texture balance the saltiness beautifully while still standing up to the intensity of the toppings.

Even though these grape varieties are ideal for Neapolitan-style pizzas, they’re just as well suited to a wide range of tomato-based toppings. Anything with a bit of saltiness or intensity, like olives, parmesan, or cured meats, will benefit from the same fresh, balanced wine styles.

For a tomato-based pizza, here are some Languedoc wines I’d go for:

L’Espérel (IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert 2024) by Villa Dondona : a blend of Vermentino, Roussanne, and Grenache Gris. It’s a lovely medium-bodied white, aromatic yet still fresh, with notes of peach, pear, and white flowers. It has enough texture to stand up to the tomato while maintaining a nice sense of balance.
Ballade (IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, 2025) by Clos Aguilem : A bright, elegant yet voluptuous white made from 100% Chenin. Although Chenin is typically associated with cooler, northern regions, it’s starting to appear more in the south, where it produces beautifully fruity wines. You still get that signature freshness, but with a bit more body and roundness than you might find in cooler climates. (Second photo, in the middle.)
Scène n°6 (Vin de France, 2025) by Domaine Ricardelle de l’Autrec : a 100% Viognier. This wine is fruity (apricot) and floral, with notes of white flowers and honeysuckle. It’s full-bodied and enveloping, yet remains well-balanced and not overly heavy.(last photo)
La Font Blanche (Corbières AOC, 2023) by Château de Caraguilhes : a fruity, silky (from very light oak ageing) white with a generous texture and a nice presence on the palate. It brings a lovely balance to the pizza without overpowering it. (First photo, on the left).