ROBB REPORT

9 Stellar Wines to Drink With Your Pizza, From Italian Reds to Napa Cabs    Your pie deserves a good vino.

Published on February 14, 2023

By MIKE DESIMONE AND JEFF JENSSEN 

If we saved all of the “good” wine in our cellars for standout meals or special occasions, the majority of it would never be enjoyed. We are all for making any night of the week a special occasion, even if dinner consists of pizza, by opening an impressive bottle of wine. There’s a bit of a balancing act that goes on here; when it comes to pizza, wine should have enough acidity and freshness to hold up to tomato sauce in addition to medium to strong tannins that will cut through fatty cheese. Cabernet Sauvignon is a good choice, but if you’ve added spicy ingredients like pepperoni, sausage or Calabrian chilies, look for the softer tannins of wines made with Garnacha, Syrah, Merlot or Pinot Noir.

Pizza doesn’t always have to be a takeout affair. Many of us have specialized pizza ovens or high caliber ranges that can sublimely crisp a thin crust while expertly adding a touch of brown to melted mozzarella, and 00 Italian flour seems much easier to find in grocery stores or online these days. With no cardboard container in sight, we are thinking outside the pizza box and looking to regions other than Italy for wines that will pair perfectly with your next pizza.

J. Moss 2017 Steffensen Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville AVA Napa

Grapes for this delightful 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon were grown in the Steffensen Vineyard in Coombsville. They were hand harvested in October and fermented in open top vats with 2 or 3 punch downs per day. The wine was then aged in French barrels for 28 months. It is inky purple in the glass with aromas of black plum, dark cherries and a touch of crushed violet flowers. It is medium bodied on the palate with firm tannins and flavors of ripe dark fruits followed by a touch of cocoa powder in the finish.