The Best Wines for Italian Food

Pasta and tomato dishes

Tomato-based pasta — spaghetti alla pomodoro, ragù, arrabbiata — is the acid-and-umami classic. It needs an Italian red with enough acidity to match the tomato and enough structure to carry the sauce: Sangiovese is the archetype, with Barbera coming a joyfully close second.

Creamy pastas (carbonara, alfredo) want a softer, rounder white or a lighter red — a nice contrast is an unoaked Chardonnay or a fruit-forward Valpolicella.

• Ragù/tomato — Chianti (Sangiovese), Barbera
• Creamy pastas — unoaked Chardonnay, Valpolicella
• Pesto — a dry, grassy Vermentino or Sauvignon Blanc

Pizza and margherita

Pizza's freshness (tomato, basil, mozzarella) and greasy richness want a wine that's both crisp and generous — which is exactly the cooling, low-tannin reds of Campania and Tuscany, or a fizzy Lambrusco that scrubs the palate like a lager but wears a wine label.

Risotto, osso buco and the northern reds

Risotto alla milanese and osso buco are the home of Nebbiolo — Barolo and Barbaresco's saffron-acid lift is a legendary match. For a lighter take, a good Barbera or Dolcetto works too.

Seafood risotto, by contrast, deserves a crisp northern white — Gavi, Lugana or Soave.

Antipasti

The grazing board — cured meats, olives, mozzarella, bruschetta — loves a versatile sparkling or rosé. Prosecco's gentle fizz and light body carry the whole table, while a dry rosé handles the richer bites.