Spaghetti alla carbonara, the popular and iconic dish from Rome and the Lazio region, is very easy to prepare — but you might have some difficulty choosing the right wine to pair with it. Part of this is due to the complexity of the dish’s flavors: the pasta and egg yolk have a sweet taste, the pork guanciale has a fatty consistency, the Pecorino Romano is powerful, and the freshly ground pepper, of which there should be plenty, is pungent and persistent.
With this in mind, it’s best to serve the dish with a wine that features a fair amount of acidity, good intensity and some longevity, plus a certain degree of softness and alcohol content. A sparkling wine would be good, though the “safest” match is a white wine, perhaps from the center of Italy to evoke the dish’s geographical origin. Rosé wines can also pair well, especially those from Abruzzo and Lake Garda, but be careful with reds, and avoid anything that is too tannic.
Here are 10 of our top choices for your next spaghetti alla carbonara meal:
Spumanti
Metodo Classico Pinot Nero Brut 64 2014 – Calatroni
This great sparkling wine is produced in the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese, and is suitable in structure and freshness.
Il Pestifero 2017 – Tenuta di Tavignano
This is a verdicchio that is fermented in the bottle, with a balance of Sangiovese grapes vinified white and a touch of malvasia. It’s easy, pleasant, and refreshing to drink.
White
Frascati Superiore 496 2017 De Sanctis
You can’t get a more classic pairing than this vintage, which is made using grapes from an old vineyard and aged in steel for a fruity bouquet and great drinkability.
Soave Classico Le Battistelle 2016 – Le Battistelle
Sapid flavors of citrus and medicinal herbs make this wine truly intriguing when paired with carbonara.
Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Bianco Torre Rosazza 2017
With an elegant, balanced character and notes of bread crust and dried fruit, this is a very pleasant and versatile white wine that’s superb at the table.
Rosé
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Baldovino 2017 – Tenuta I Fauri
Produced by a family-run organic company, this is one of the most impressive rosés from Abruzzo, and offers excellent value for money.
Riviera del Garda Classico Rosa dei Frati – Ca’ dei Frati
A fruity and delicate rosé, but with the right determination to keep up with the complexity of the dish.
Red
Bardolino SP 2015 – Albino Piona
Made from a native Veneto grape that deserves to be far more famous than it is, this is a great little fruity wine that will surprise you.
Trasimeno Gamay Divina Villa 2017 – Duca della Corgna
From a cooperative wine cellar in Umbria, this drinkable, everyday wine boast notes of red berries and spices.