Matching wines with pasta immediately makes you think Chianti, Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio, and why not? Italian pasta simply comes to life when paired with its national soulmate, Italian wine. When it comes to choosing the perfect wine and pasta match, your choice in color and weight of the wine should be guided by the flavors and ingredients in the pasta – what’s in the sauce, whether the cheese is pungent and rich or mild and sweet, whether the pasta is filled with any ingredients, and what meats are used to accompany the dishes.

Let’s start with the most popular, and most common style of pasta – tomato sauce. The combination of tomatoes and complementary ingredients like basil, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and garlic give you the perfect palette to pair with crisp dry whites like Pinot Grigio or Arneis or aromatic, flavorful red wines. The acid in tomatoes pairs well with slightly tangy wines. For reds try a cherry-scented Nebbiolo or savory Dolcetto. Try to avoid big, ripe reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz as the acid in the sauce may make them taste harsh and could enhance the tannins.

Our Picks: 

• White: Bollini Pinot Grigio, Bongiovanni Arneis
• Red: Renato Ratti Ochetti Nebbiolo, Luigi Einaudi Dogliani Dolcetto

Pastas including the herbal, garlic and cheese of pesto combined with fresh basil makes a lovely match with light-bodied, soft reds or crisp dry whites. Try Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese or Barbera.

Our Picks: 

• White: Ca Montini Pinot Grigio
• Red: San Crispino Chianti Classico Reserva, Patrizi Barbera D’Alba

For pasta served with rich, creamy sauces like carbonara made with prosciutto, eggs and parmesan (no cream!), a rich Italian White or buttery Chardonnay from California makes a perfectly complementary match. 

Our Picks: 

• White: Tenuta Rapitala Piano Maltese (Sicily), Belcreme De Lys Chardonnay

Cream sauces with mushrooms make a great match for either rich, full-bodied white wines like Chardonnay, or fresh, vibrant reds like Aglianico or Sangiovese (Especially those from Montilcino)

Our Picks: 

• White: Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay
• Red: Donna Chiara Irpinia Aglianico, Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello Di Montalcino

Pasta with cream sauce and seafood is delicious with fruity whites like Pinot Grigio, Prosecco and Vernaccia, or fresh reds like a Valpolicella. 

Our Picks: 

• White: Tommasi Pinot Grigio, Mionetto Prosecco, Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano
• Red: Allegrini Valpolicella 

Pasta is one of those meals that really loves wine, so take time to experiment a few different combinations to find you own personal favorites and enjoy the pleasures of a harmonious match of flavors.