Pizza Pizzazz

Pizza and a cheap bottle of red wine, often bought from Aldi, is a weekly ritual for many people.  I therefore couldn’t resist going along to a tasting with a focus on Italian wines to have with pizza.  I was surprised to see some white wines until I remembered the increasing popularity of ‘white’ pizzas.  My friend and I easily agreed on the best white wine but there were three contenders for the red wine that we would drink with our pizza.

Fuedo Montini Grillo Timpa 2024

I am a fan of Grillo, a grape used to make marsala, when it is in a fresh and dry wine.  This wine had a lovely stone fruit and melon aroma which was supplemented on the palate with the flavour of red apple and a lemon base.  There was an undertone of slightly bitter savoury herbal element which stopped this wine from being cloying. 

I would pair this with a potato and rosemary pizza and my friend also suggested a pizza with prawns or light seafood.  It is also beautifully quaffable without food.  Bottles of this wine came home with us.

Rating: Delish      Price: AUD 44 (not exactly a cheap pizza wine)

Le Cinciole Conciorosso 2020

70% Sangiovese with elements of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this wine was described as a baby Super Tuscan.

Balanced with integrated tannins and some fruit brightness, especially red and black plums, and a touch of bay leaf in the background.  It was very quaffable and we both agreed that it was a good pizza wine.  Pair with “red” pizzas, especially those with tomato, olive and mushrooms.

Rating: Delish       Price: AUD 39

Santadi Carignano de Sulcis “Grotta Rossa” 2022

This wine was a very light expression of carignano, a grape variety that I normally find too tannic for my personal taste.  There was some tannin but it was tamed.  Flavours of red fruits with some black fruit and was underpinned by a tar, graphite and herbal/garrigue background.  One the more complex wines on offer at the tasting.

Pair with “red” pizzas with lamb, salami, rucola and herbal toppings.

Rating: Okay       Price: AUD 30

Mastroberardino Mastro Campania Rosso IGT 2024

Made from Piedirosso and Aglianico, this was the ‘fruit bomb’ of the tasting.  It was redolent of juicy red fruit, in particular cherry, red plum, red currant, raspberry and cranberry.  Medium bodied and smooth, and will appeal to those who like an early picked Grenache or a Barbera.

Would pair beautifully with some of the more meat-laden red pizzas and those with a more intense taste profile.

This wine ended up being our favourite red pizza wine (a close run with the Le Cinciole Conciorosso) and bottles followed us home.

Rating: Delish      Price: AUD 36