suggestions for pairing wine with pizza and wings?

Hi All,

I am having a karaoke party in a few weeks. It's going to be very casual...just going to order a few pies and some chicken wings (mildly spicy). There will be other finger foods too. We are going to have a whole range of alcohol, but I am not exactly sure what kind of wine to have. I was thinking some Zinfandel?

So what do you all think? Any suggestions? If you think Zinfandel is a good match...does anyone know of a good one that is under $10.00?

Cote du Rhones
Viognier
Muscadet (more with the wings than with the pizza probably)
I have enjoyed Dolcetto with pizza as well.

If there are anchovies on the pizza then.....hmmm..

The pizza calls for something italian, but italian wines are often acidic and that's not good for the hot wings. I like your zinfandel idea. Alternatively, one of the blended do-everything wines might work, like a Red Truck, Laurel Glen Reds, some of the California Rhone Rangers, or the real thing - Cotes du Rhone.

Living in the Buffalo area, wings and pizza (we have some pretty good pizza here also) are pretty much a party staple. I don't know anyone who drinks wine with wings. Beer, preferably Canadian draft. Generally, I also like beer with pizza, but you might try Lambrusco, which has a bit of carbonation and sweetness to make an inexpensive quaff with both the wings and pizza.

Maria, as Howie said, most people probably go for beer with such things, though I'm a contrary example personally. Pizza and wine is a standard combination at my place, and it's usually a dry and acidic red that I choose. That said, I think that Zin would work with pizza too. With the wings, however, there might be a problem. If there's palpable heat in the spice as opposed to simply flavourful-spice, beer might work better. If the wings aren't particularly spicy, then I would even be so bold as to go for a dry white wine.

Yeah, beer is the way to go with that menu, but I also drink wine with almost anything ... including my Shredded Wheat.

I like the Cline Cellars Red Truck (although it's not Cline's anymore), but would probably go with Cline Cellars Oakley Five Reds instead if you can get it. That's around eight bucks and would be your pizza wine. For the hot wings I would say try something in the rosé area, maybe even with a little fizz to it. If they are really hot, try a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!

There will most certainly be plenty of beer! (along with scotch and cocktails ). But I did want to have some vino as well. Good suggestions...am writing everything down for my shopping list.

Gary - quick Q, I haven't ever had German wine yet. But I am familiar with the terms for the Riesling. Would you recommend an off-dry one then? Any particular ones that you think would be good?

And the same question for you Shaji...is the Muscadet dry or is it sweeter? Any recommendations on a brand?

Thanks again everyone!

I really like the idea of an off-dry sparkling wine. The Lambrusco sounds perfect. Something fun and light. The problem with wings is going to be balancing the spiciness and the acid of the wine. I believe the wings will kill any dry still red wines.

Good luck!

Lisa

Gary - quick Q, I haven't ever had German wine yet. But I am familiar with the terms for the Riesling. Would you recommend an off-dry one then? Any particular ones that you think would be good?!

If you've never had German wine before, then you're in for a treat! It is, however, significantly different in its flavor profile than the wines you've been drinking. But, of course, you don't have to get your Riesling or Gewürztraminer from Germany (although I am partial to them).

At the moment, I'm enjoying something from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region from Losen-Bockstanz, a Riesling Kabinett, which I pick up at Trader Joe's. You might not find it in your area. Whatever German you select, I'd say go with a Kabinett, but ask the wine dealer since the residual sugar and sweetness vary. You might want a touch of sweetness for those wings. You can also look to the Alsace and pick up something from Trimbach which is usually a safe bet. Again, let your salesperson (if you've found one you can trust) be your guide. I'm not too big on Rieslings made in the U.S.A. or Australia, although others will wash my head for that statement.

A few unrelated thoughts and comment...

Yes. I'd probably go for beer. With the pizza at least.

All the food is rather greasy (didn't mean that to sound negative) so if you are going to go for wine, I think you want a wine with good acidity. And a quite flavoursome wine to stand up to the spiciness of the wings. Riesling would be good with the wings. Dry, off dry or normal German Kabinett sort of style. Sparkling wine would also be refreshing. Maybe goes against what I said eaarlier about a flavoursome wine, but I'd suggest a Prosecco. All of the above would probably be as good as anything else with the pizza too - any tomato source will tend to be acidiic again suggesting an acidic wine.

Muscadet is very dry, Maria. It has the right acidty, but I think it is probably too delicate for your food.

I love Trimbach to bits, but suspect the style is a bit too subtle for the food - and it would blow the $10.00 budget wouldn't it?.

I don't see any recommendations from the other side of the pond for Zins under $10 yet so I'll stick my neck out - go for something from Ravenswood, Lodi or Vintners Blend. In my admittedly limited experience they offer good VFM and are better than a few more expensive ones I have tried. Not sure how good they would be with your food though.

Masciarelli Montepulciano d' Abruzzo. Shouldn't be more than nine bucks a bottle. My ultimate pizza wine. If the wings are mild, it'll be fine. If they're really hot, DRINK BEER.

[James Roscoe]

For pizza I usually go with a nice primitivo.

The Muscadet is quite a "hoppy" wine. When I drink it, sort of reminds me of drinking beer!!! I would call it a dry white wine.

Hey there Maria, it sounds like everything is pretty much covered here. This is my $0.02: I would go for beer (because of the wings) but if I had to choose a wine that would please the non-beer drinkers I would get Cline Zinfandel. It usually hovers around $9/bottle and is very good. Ravenswood VB is also a good one for the same price. And if I were there I would sing "Little Red Corvette" at the top of my lungs

rwj

Excellent suggestions but Pizza....Malbec tried and tested. Don`t ask me which toppings though!!

[James Roscoe]

Excellent suggestions but Pizza....Malbec tried and tested. Don`t ask me which toppings though!!

Malbec is not a bad choice, but as is pointed out on the ressurected Malbec thread, at the lower price point, Malbecs can be dicey. I prefer primitivos or zins in the under $15 range for pizza. Beer is an excellent choice. I think Dave E's suggestion of a Md'A would work well too, especially with homemade pizza.

Excellent suggestions but Pizza....Malbec tried and tested. Don`t ask me which toppings though!!

Malbec? No pie for me Argentina ...

Time for me to interject another option.

Wife and I have consumed a lot of Malbec with pizza. You should be able to get a serviceable one for less than $10 in NJ. Altos Las Hormigas, Terrazos de los Andes, Los Cardos, Trapiche all make nice ones that are right around $10 in Ohio. That means they are $8 in most of the rest of the country.

If the wings are Buffalo style (Tabasco) spicy, I echo the Riesling suggestion. If the spice is more of a BBQ sauce for ribs, then Zinfandel will work well.

Mike, I just opened another `05 Altos las Hormigas. Talk about bottle variation plus my 2nd bottle has an almost spritz/fermentation feel about it> Very strange eh. Great suggestions there though.

Mike, I just opened another `05 Altos las Hormigas. Talk about bottle variation plus my 2nd bottle has an almost spritz/fermentation feel about it> Very strange eh. Great suggestions there though.

Bob, I dug back into the database. All of our Argentine Malbecs were vintage 2003. Don't have a clue as to whether that vintage was good, bad or indifferent compared to 2005 or historical norms.

Also, I can't believe the irony....not one post about Malbec in this thread and while I'm writing mine up, the Malbec hounds delivered boatloads of posts.

The Muscadet is quite a "hoppy" wine. When I drink it, sort of reminds me of drinking beer!!! I would call it a dry white wine.

OK Shaji, I wasn't sure whether to keep the "very" bit in my description of Muscadet. Can't say I have noticed a hopiness to it, but I'll try to focus in on it next time I try some. The sur lie versions could well have some yeasty flavours, which might also remind one of beer.

If the spice is more of a BBQ sauce for ribs, then Zinfandel will work well.

Agreed. I wasn't thinking of that type of sauce when disrecommending Zin.

The Malbec hounds....I like that. Sleepless in Edmonton (3 am) and wondering what to open this evening!!!!! I am expecting some new vintages of malbec to hit the shelf very soon. My Hormigas post is gonna suck however.

I suggest Gnarly Head Old Vines Zinfandel. My wife's favorite pizza wine. I usually put jalapeños on my pizza, and, for me, it stands up to that treatment, so it should work with the wings as well.