Passion for pizza is not exclusive to Italians, but the desire to enjoy this ever-so-popular dish with sparkling wine might be – until now. Combining the country's most popular, accessible dish with a wine usually associated with luxury and celebration is certainly not taboo, but the choice should be made carefully.
On that note, we asked celebrated writer Alfonso Isinelli to analyze the most classic pizza styles and suggest some bubbles to sip alongside them. He co-authored the book Pizza e Bolle (Pizza and Bubbles) along with Tania Mauri and Luciana Squadrilli, which focuses on the happy union between “a modest, accessible food and a wine known for being slightly snobbish.”
Pizza Margherita
Pizza Margherita is the world's most famous pizza, the quintessential classic made from three ingredients: tomatoes, basil, and then either fior di latte or mozzarella cheese. The latter is the source of a debate, so we suggest two different pairings. The freshness and softness of fior di latte is worth pairing with a bottle-fermented rosé for both aromatic and visual similarities. Try Il Fric Paestum IGP Aglianico Rosato Frizzante 2017 by Casebianche.
If, however, you go for the crispier mozzarella, splurge for an Italian classic method Chardonnay like Il Mattaglio di Cantina della Volta. This wine from Emilia ages for 46 months in the bottle, but it seems as if it were made in Champagne. Its floral, elegant notes and beautiful smoothness complement the mozzarella and the acidic notes of the tomatoes.
Pizza Marinara
While the Margherita may be the world's best-known pizza, the marinara is the best-loved and most frequently consumed, especially in Naples. It's the benchmark for pizza enthusiasts to distinguish the good pizza makers from the mediocre ones. A simple product made with tomatoes, oregano, and garlic calls for a simple wine – maybe a traditional sparkling wine, such as one from Gragnano, whose wines are fresh and sapid with a lovely note of aromatic herbs. Or perhaps a Terra di Gragnano DOC Frizzante sui Lieviti 2017 by the Iovine family, or an even finer product like Champagne — perhaps a Pinot Meunier, fruity, plant-based, with notes of iodine, like La Fontinette 2013 by Flavien Nowack. “Misery and nobility” that go hand in hand.
Pizza Capricciosa
Born out of the need to combine its ingredients into a single dish before they turned, the capricciosa pizza saw success in the 1980s and has become a permanent fixture in all pizzerias. There are regional variations, but it typically has a tomato base topped with mushrooms, artichokes in olive oil, olives, and cooked ham. Some people add capers while others add hard-boiled eggs, and the list goes on.
Finding a wine that combines all these flavors isn't easy, but we’re opting for one that is often served as an aperitivo just like most of the pizza's toppings: a lovely Prosecco, a new generation one that harkens back to tradition by being fermented in the bottle with no disgorging. Choose something dry with a slightly sweet finish to cleanse the palate, like Colfòndo Asolo Prosecco Extra Brut DOCG 2017 by Bele Casel.
Pizza Quattro Formaggi
Born out of a need to use leftover cheese, this pizza's origins are similar to the capricciosa, but over time it has acquired increasing levels of dignity — though the wide range of Italian cheeses used means that the combinations, and therefore the pairings, can be endless.
To pair with a combination that includes fresh Pecorino, provolone, a more mature toma, and a blue cheese (or with slight variations on that theme), the wine that springs to mind is a Lambrusco, a sparkling wine that is winning back more and more of the recognition that it deserves. Perhaps not a fine and sapid Sorbara, but one that's initially spiky then subsequently rich and persistent, such as Fontana dei Boschi di Vittorio Graziano.
Calzone
This filled pizza of sorts is a classic from Naples, though other versions exist, particularly in southern Italy. The traditional filling consists of mozzarella, ricotta, salami, and plenty of freshly ground pepper, all of which seep deliciously from the fresh-out-of-the-oven calzone after it's cut. Pair it with a sparkling wine full of Mediterranean characteristics, rich in fruit, floral, and plant notes with an acidic finish that lingers in the mouth, like Terzavia Brut Nature by Marco De Bartoli.