Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Pairing Wine with Pasta Sauces
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Few pairings are as timeless as wine with pasta. But while traditional red sauce spaghetti and wicker-basket Chianti may always have a place in our hearts, Italian pasta dishes cover a wide range of styles with sauces that complement a variety of wines. Pair wine with pasta sauces by matching the intensity and acidity of the food to the wine. High-acid tomato sauces need bright, medium-bodied reds, rich cream sauces require crisp or buttery whites, and oily or herbaceous pestos pair best with light, refreshing wines.
## Check these classic pairings for your next pasta night:
- Tomato & Marinara: Pair with bright, medium-bodied reds like Chianti or Sangiovese to perfectly balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Meat (Bolognese): Match hearty, savory meat sauces with bolder, structured reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Barbera.
- Cream & Cheese (Alfredo, Carbonara): Cut through rich, heavy dairy with crisp or buttery whites like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
- Pesto & Veggies: Complement fresh, herbal basil and vegetable sauces with crisp whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Dry Rosé.
- Seafood: Pair delicate clam, mussel, or shrimp sauces with light, zesty whites like Pinot Grigio or Vermentino.
Explore the Wine Folly Pasta Wine Guide to dive deeper into texture-based regional pairings.
We have a choice of videos to watch including:
- https://youtu.be/6Wx4T-XNROU?si=lMtip7wL8nl7syDz - Sommelier Pairs Wine With 5 Classic Pasta Dishes - Bon Appetit (13:12)
- https://youtu.be/G92hV6xm4ig?si=qEkdiYj63sIwdX_I - Wine Pairing 101: How To Pair Wine With Three Classic Pasta Dishes - Wine With Me (3:02)
- https://youtu.be/5d8GBQvTqd8?si=FjK0xYfktph1RQRI - Wine Pairing With Pasta Sauce - Escoffier Home Gourmet (1:47)
- https://youtu.be/yEUfsoaDmKE?si=wA9BZ5Cu7FEgeI9b - Wine Pairing 101: Super Easy Food and Wine Pairing - V is for Vino (5:43)
So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!
Cheers!!