Some things in life are just better together! Part of the magic of Italian cuisine is when food and wine come together in perfect harmony to create a symphony for your palate. So, if you’re craving a taste of the Bel Paese from the comfort of home, mastering the art of Italian food and wine pairing is the ultimate way to bring in the spirit of Italian dining culture into your home.
Because in Italy, meal times aren’t just about eating. They’re about savoring and enjoying every bite, every sip. It’s about slowing down and enjoying time amongst friends and family. When you learn to drink wine to enhance what you eat, you’ll unlock new flavors and elevate even the simplest dishes.
This is why on all our small group Italy trips you’ll enjoy curated tasting menus centered around synergetic pairings. While the food and wine are stellar on their own, the moment the local flavors come together it’s easy to see why each region has its own culinary and cultural identity represented by the vineyards and ingredients that have been treasured for centuries. As Italian Food and Wine experts and locals of Le Marche, we’ll let you in on the five secrets you need to know to master the basic principles of wine pairing and recommend good Italian wine options to pick up for your next pasta night.
Read on to discover the best wine to pair with your Italian food and learn how to create palate-pleasing pairings to impress your friends at your next dinner party!
The Italian Approach to Food and Wine Pairing
Food and wine pairing is an enduring tradition here in Italy, and one that many Italians take a lot of personal pride in! Even though some may think it’s over the top at first, once you taste that meant-to-be food and wine pairing, you’ll see why.
Why Pairing Matters
In Italy, wine is the conversation starter, the bridge between dishes, and the palate cleanser. While the food is the main event, it just wouldn’t be the same without the enhancement of the Italian wine pairing. Wine isn’t an afterthought or something put on the table without consideration for what’s around it. It’s a part of the entire dining experience!
And Italians take pride in this because of their cultural values of balance, tradition, and pleasure. Wine pairing is a reminder to slow down and enjoy every bite, every conversation, every small detail of your meal. Italian dining culture is all about the harmony of each element of the meal.
Italians don’t just drink wine, they live it. Pairings aren’t chosen at random; they’re shaped by generations of connection to the land. People know the vineyards like they know their neighbors—because often, they are! Every town, every family, every table has its go-to wine that reminds them of home, and the way it’s paired with local dishes is as much a tradition as the food itself.
Elevating the Dining Experience
Setting aside the cultural impact of wine pairing, if you’ve ever had this experience, you know: the right pairing can transform your meal or dish. With the right wine pairing, something so simple, like a Bolognese, is suddenly transformed into something completely different—a whole new perspective on the flavors opens up.
Italian cooking is all about finding a well-matched blend of spices, the right level of acidity, and the harmony of each ingredient with one another. That’s true within each dish but also of all the individual elements of a meal, including wine.
Generally, meal times are taken much more seriously here in Italy than in North America. It’s not just throwing entrees and sides together at random to have a carb, a starch, and a vegetable; it’s all flavors in balance and harmony, enjoyment, and pleasure.
You don’t have to come to Italy to adopt the Italian tradition of slowing down and embracing the flavor. Although we think you absolutely should visit Italy to experience it for yourself! That’s why our tours focus on food and wine pairings, visiting the local experts who keep the regional traditions alive, and slowing down to soak in every moment. A trip to Italy simply wouldn’t be complete without unhurried moments and meals that spark conversation with a glass of wine in hand.
Thinking about a food & wine tour of Italy? There are seven reasons you should book beyond just tasting the wine—find out what they are here!
The Role of Regional Traditions
Another core tenet of Italian culture is regional pride and upholding traditions passed down from generation to generation, which is interwoven into every facet of Italian life, including food and wine pairings.
Many Italians’ childhood memories are shaped around food—the pasta orecchiette their nonna made by hand in Puglia, the panettone or pandoro (depending on the region) on the table at Christmas, or the sacred Sunday Pranzone (Big Sunday Lunch) with the entire family. And often, the adults drank the wine that was made from the grapes grown in the vineyard just a few miles down the road. It’s a tradition that many carry into their adulthood.
Italian culture isn’t a monolith, proven in the diversity of Italian wine alone. Each region and subregion has its unique terroir, consisting of soil, climate, terrain, and tradition, resulting in thousands of distinctive types of wine, making Italy the country with the greatest number of indigenous types of grapes and the greatest variation in regional culture surrounding wine.
Essential Italian Food & Wine Pairing Tips
Now that you understand the cultural practice of Italian wine pairing, it’s time to share our five essential tips for a synchronized pairing every time. Master these basics and you’ll eat and drink as the Italians do at every meal!
Tip #1: Match Sauce and Wine Acidity
One of the golden rules to know for mouth-watering Italian food and wine pairing is matching the acidity of your dish with the acidity in your wine. Many tomato-based dishes are naturally high in acidity. If you pair these dishes with wines that can’t match the brightness, you’ll find the flavors dull or oddly sweet in comparison. The right pairings bring balance, allowing both the food and the wine to shine without overpowering one another, and instead upleveling your meal.
You can think of your classic pairings that are common outside Italy, like Chianti Classico with spaghetti al pomodoro. The tang of tomato, the richness of olive oil, and the salt of the cheese are all lifted and balanced with an equally bright and acidic-tasting wine. Wine pairings are natural and intuitive when you visit the regions where the food and the grapes are grown, which is the primary focus of all of our tours.
Need to brush up on your red wine knowledge? Read our Quick Guide to Italy’s Most Famous Red Wine!
Tip #2: Rich Dishes Deserve Bold Wines
With rich, classic Italian dishes like bolognese or lasagna, you’ll need a bold wine to stand up to the heartiness with structure, tannins, and flavor intensity. Pair a light-bodied or delicate wine with dishes like these, and you’ll lose the flavor of the wine completely.
Hearty dishes are where bold reds like Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, like the award-winning variety you’ll taste on tour with us, Nero d’Avola, or Sagrantino di Montefalco from Umbria can truly shine. The tannins in the wine grip the fat in the food, the fruit holds up against heavy seasoning, and there’s enough acidity to keep the food from sitting too heavily in your stomach.
Tip #3: Creamy Sauces Shine with Whites
When working with rich, creamy sauces, you want your wine to cut through the fat, not add to it. That’s where light-bodied, crisp white wines like Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi which you’ll enjoy at One of Italy’s Top producers on Italy Uncorked, or Prosecco come in. Wines like this are a palate cleanser between every bite, cutting through the fat and bringing the dish back into balance.
Sure, you can try this pairing at home, but there’s nothing better than a crisp glass of prosecco, award-winning cheese, and a view of the vineyards of the Prosecco Hills where the grapes are grown—and that’s the experience you’ll get with us on Northern Italian Delights! Crisp, white wines also go well with creamy seafood dishes, which you’ll experience looking out on the iconic coastal caves of Puglia when you join us on Passport to Puglia.
Don’t forget to brush up on your white wines! Read our Quick Guide to Italy’s Most Famous White Wine.
Tip #4: Regional Harmony in Pairings
Historically, food and wine evolved together regionally in Italy, meaning that the wine people drank was made from the grapes grown in the same soil as the tomatoes, olives, and herbs used in cooking. But, in modern day, where exporting food is the norm, we’re not limited to what’s regionally available in what we eat, which is why we now consider wine pairing a skill rather than simply a natural occurrence!
That’s why in the regions of Southern Italy where tomatoes grow in abundance, such as Puglia and Campania, you’ll find highly acidic wines such as Sangiovese, Primitivo, or Negroamaro that match popular tomato-based dishes like orecchiette with tomato sauce and ricotta forte or tiella barese.
In Le Marche, we pair Verdicchio with brodetto di pesce, because the wine’s mineral qualities match the seafood without overpowering it. Rosso Piceno is paired with vincisgrassi, a rich, meaty variation of lasagna, the ideal mirror to the wine’s earthy, rustic flavors. In Umbria, Sagrantino di Montefalco is paired with wild boar ragu or grilled lamb, with the wine’s bold tannins and dark fruit balancing the rich flavor of the game.
Overall, when in doubt, think like a local! Wine pairing is intuitive and was once done out of necessity based on what was available. People drank what they grew and cooked what they had, meaning the wine on the table and the dish on the plate naturally complemented each other. Wine pairing isn’t a trend in the sommelier handbooks; it’s an authentic tradition deeply rooted in Italian regional cultures!
Did you know that all 20 regions of Italy produce wine? Home to over 500 indigenous varieties of grapes, Italy is the world’s largest producer of wine, accounting for 19% of the world’s wine! Read up on the Top Wine Regions in Italy here.
Tip #5: Experiment and Enjoy
Wine pairing isn’t about perfection—it’s about pleasure, enjoyment, and being present at each meal. The best way to learn how to create balanced food and wine pairings is to try different combinations to see what you like! Once you know the basic principles, you can trust your taste buds to guide you toward the go-to, effortless pairings for your dinner table.
When cooking at home, don’t be afraid to break the mold and go beyond the classic pairings. And better yet? Plan a trip to Italy, where all the pairings are carefully curated based on years of tradition for a dining experience making for an immersive tasting you’ll never forget!
The Best Italian Wines for Pasta Pairing
Bringing the flavors of Italy home with a pasta night? The right wines can elevate your weeknight meal with a single sip! We’ve chosen some of the best Italian wines for pasta pairing, including approachable, beginner-friendly wines and some options for those who know what they like and are ready to bring complexity to their meal.
If you’re sticking to the classics and looking for wines that won’t overwhelm your palate as a beginner in the world of wine pairing, opt for a classic like Pinot Grigio for a light-bodied, dry, and easy to find white that goes great with garlic-forward white sauces, veggies, or a simple aglio e olio.
Or, go for the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG from Le Marche, which pairs beautifully with light tomato sauces, seafood pastas, and primavera. For a red option, Negroamaro from Puglia is fruity and medium-bodied with enough edge to keep your baked pasta dish interesting.
By the way, if you’re a novice in Italian wine, read our seven terms that every wine lover should know!
For those willing to branch out a little and explore, Pecorino is an excellent pick for white wine. The wine’s floral taste, texture, and weight pair well with carbonara, cheese-based pasta dishes, or seafood with creamy sauce. It’s a great foray into the white wine world as Pecorino, known for its structure and ability to be aged, is lovingly called a Red dressed in white.
For red enthusiasts, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is beloved for its rich fruit, soft tannins, and versatility—great for meat-based sauces, lasagna, or the must-try regional dish, Capra Neretese, a goat stew slow-cooked with sweet red peppers that you can try at One of Italy’s Top Restaurants for traditional cuisine when you grab your spot on Italy’s Epicurean Journey.
Finally, if you’re a more experienced wine lover ready to pair with purpose, these wines bring intensity, complexity, and a sense of place for each region. For the richest dishes that include game meat or deeply savory sauces, Sagrantino di Montefalco from Umbria is bold, tannic, and full of dark fruit—not for the faint of heart! Valpolicella Ripasso from Veneto is another red option for slow-braised meats, wild mushroom pasta, or a hearty pappardelle.
Whether you’re swirling a glass of crisp Verdicchio or diving into a bold Sagrantino,a harmonious pasta pairing isn’t just about following the rules; it’s about discovering the magic of the right bite meeting the right sip! You’ll know when you taste it, so let your tastebuds lead!
How to Pair Good Wine With Italian Food at Home
You don’t need a sommelier certification to create a great food and wine pairing right at home! With curiosity and just a few thoughtful steps and an understanding of the basic principles of pairing, you can turn a regular pasta night into an Italian-inspired dinner that will inspire you to plan a trip to try the real thing!
The first step? Start with the sauce. If you have a tomato-based sauce, go for the acidic wines, like Sangiovese, Montepulciano, or Barbera. Going creamy or cheesy? Opt for crisp whites. Pesto or veggie-forward? Try herbal whites like Grechetto or Pecorino. And for the richest meals that are meat-heavy or baked? Balance it out with bold reds like Negroamaro. When in doubt, remember that bold dishes need structure in the wine and lighter dishes with delicate sauces need something equally restrained to pair. Like goes with like—pairing is about balance and harmony, not competition!
Most importantly, embrace the way of Italian dining culture. Slow down and enjoy, savor every sip and every bite. Think about how the flavors come together on the palate rather than moving on to the next bite before you can swallow the one before. Invite friends and family around the dinner table with you, enjoy good company and conversation, and you’re well on your way to living la dolce vita!
As local Italian food and wine experts, we can’t even count the number of times we’ve enjoyed pairing moments that elevate your meal—the burst of flavor, the unexpected taste that comes through a dish you’ve had dozens of times before, and the sense of place when trying a dish and a wine from the same region.
And the best part of our job? Watching our guests experience the same magic! The food and the wine we have on our tours are great on their own, but together? That’s what has our guests coming back again and again!
On Northern Italian Delights in Veneto, you’ll pair artisan, award-winning cheese made using the same artisanal methods for over 100 years with a glass of Prosecco DOC. On Italy’s Epicurean Journey, in Abruzzo and Le Marche, you’ll pair Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with some of the region’s top truffle-infused dishes. Take it from our recent guest Kevin, who’s been to Italy multiple times before his tour with us: “No other experience compares!”
Ready to impress your friends at your next dinner party? Grab your Free Wine Pairing Cheatsheet here!
Experience and Learn Food & Wine Pairing in Italy!
Wine pairing isn’t about memorizing a set of rules. In Italy, pairing wine with food isn’t a luxury only reserved for fine dining—it’s our way of life woven into Sunday lunches, family gatherings, and seaside picnics! And you can embrace those same traditions from wherever you are.
But if you want to experience Italian dining culture as it was meant to be experienced—shared, savored, and surrounded by good company—our small group tours are for you! On our Italy tours, you’ll experience the regions where the food and wine are grown for yourself and spend time with the people who keep the traditions fundamental to wine pairing alive, whether it’s the biodynamic organic honey maker in the heart of Verdicchio di Matelica on Italy Uncorked or the multi-generational zero-km burrata cheesemaker on Passport to Puglia.
We’ve personally tried, tested, and tasted every single experience, and we’re giving you a backstage pass to the sides of Italy most tourists will never get to see! So, if you’re ready to hone your wine pairing skills and impress your dinner party guests by learning through firsthand experience? There’s no reason not to book your dream Italian vacation today!
