Pairing wine with pizza is like pairing beer with fish and chips. Matches made in heaven, sent from the food gods up above. It doesn’t matter if you’re hosting a party for a more sophisticated crowd or if you’re planning on staying in and binge-watching your favorite show, Stan’s Pizza Joint (the best pizza in Burnaby) is here to help you create your perfect match. We’ve broken it down into four different categories for you so that you can enjoy it without stressing.
Cheese
When it comes to pizza, it’s almost always inevitable to keep the cheese. If you end up pairing any wine with a cheese pizza, it’s in your best interest to keep it simple. Something minimalistic works fine. A good place to start would be with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. Wines like these two will complement the heavy cheese while increasing the delivery of the tomato sauce. Try to stay away from wines that are intense and dry. You can also go the GSM way – an acronym for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. GSMs are known primarily for their extroverted fruity aromas.
Meaty
Meats that are rich, such as beef and sausage, are best paired with a full-bodied red wine. Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, and Malbec are great choices because they fall into the category of a full-bodied red wine. With that being said, if you are a meat lover, stick to fruitier wines with hints of blueberry or blackberry. Your best bets would be Shiraz, Sangiovese, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. If it’s your traditional pepperoni pizza, the best wine to enjoy with it would be a Sangiovese or Cabernet Franc.
Veggie
Maybe you’re a vegetarian. Well, the good news is that you have a variety of different wines to choose from. Sauvignon Blanc is a great wine to pair with veggie pizzas because of the bright taste it provides. Another great option is Dry Rose, as the sweet taste will accent whatever veggies you put on your pizza. Pinot Noir is also a great option for veggie pizzas because of the punch it adds.
White
As far as white pizzas go, you could be spoiled with garlic and ricotta cheese. Due to the lack of acidic ingredients, the best pairing for this would be Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or even Champagne. These cream-based pizzas raise the level of creamy notes to both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These two wines, in particular, are great to pair with green herbs, giving your white pizza that kicks it might have been lacking before.
After writing about these masterful pairings, I don’t know how you’re next meal won’t be one of these. Pizzas are made with several different herbs and the sweetness can be accented or dulled down based on the wine you pair with it. However, you usually want to get the richest, most vibrant taste you possibly can. So the next time you go get pizza, make sure it’s from Stan’s Pizza Joint! The best pizza in Burnaby! We deliver as well (the pizza, not the wine).