Pairing Wine with Lasagna
Cooking homemade lasagna may be a labor of love (as in, it takes a while to make!) so it deserves a wine to celebrate all your hard work. Here are my top suggestions of wines to pair with Lasagna!
LASAGNA: THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD
When you think about Lasagna, you might have the same memories I do as a kid: devouring a hefty square from a giant pan that could have easily fed a crowd. Each bite is a mountain of cheese intertwined with sweet sausage, spiced tomato sauce and layers of pasta. It’s the ultimate hearty comfort food that you might feel a LITTLE guilty to eat, but each bite is such a moment of heaven that it’s all worth it.
Today’s pairing is for American-style Lasagna (yes, there’s a difference from Italian lasagna): the iconic sausage, beef, mozzarella and tomato sauce dish baked together to create one of the most comforting meals on the planet.
WINES THAT PAIR WITH LASAGNA
SANGIOVESE-BASED BLEND: MY #1 CHOICE
Sangiovese (san-jee-oh-vay-say) is a grape native to central Italy and has the acidity to match the tomato sauce in lasagna. When its blended with other grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah, these grapes add body, depth and tannin to match the heartiness of the dish.
“Sangiovese blends” is a rather broad category, so its worth asking your local wine shop to point you to the “Supertuscan” or “Tuscan blends” section. These wines come in all shapes and sizes, but luckily many producers will state the grapes in the blend on the back of the label.
Look For: “Toscana IGP” on the label, which is the region commonly listed for blends
Dani’s Go-To Tuscan Blends:
Tenuta San Guido “Le Difese”
Antinori “Villa Toscana”
Banfi “Belnero”
Antinori “Tignanello” ($$$)
CHIANTI CLASSICO RESERVA
Chianti (kee-ahn-tee) is a Sangiovese-based red wine from Tuscany and is perhaps the most famous region in the world for this grape. It should be very easy to find Chianti at most stores (even grocery stores!). Look specifically for a bottle that says “Classico Reserva” on it, which denotes that the wine will probably have a fuller body that will match nicely with lasagna.
Montepulciano di Abruzzo
For a great value and maybe something you’re not as familiar with, reach for a bottle of Montepulciano di Abruzzo.
Montepulciano (mon-tah-pull-chee-ah-no) is known for being a great everyday drinking wine and tends to be really affordable (under $15 is the norm). It may not have as high acidity as Sangiovese, but otherwise it fits all the requirements we’re looking for in pairing with Lasagna. Pick up a bottle if you want a more “rustic” option for this pairing.
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
For a real treat, purchase a bottle of Italian Brunello di Montalcino, which is a giant expression of Sangiovese hailing from the town of Montalcino in Tuscany. Brunello is full-bodied with giant tannins so this is the wine that will give you the real “WOW” factor. For that reason, its great for dinner parties or hostess gifts.
(Pronounced: broo-nell-oh dee mont-ahl-chee-noh)
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo (neb-ee-OH-low) is a grape famous from Northwest Italy in the Piemonte region. Its much lighter in body than other wines suggested here, but its famous for having very high tannin (that “grittiness” you feel in red wine) and a pronounced old-world earthiness that will give a beautiful contrast to lasagna. For a great value, look for a wine from the Langhe region. For something more special, pick up a bottle from Barolo or Barbaresco.
Aglianico
My last suggestion is a wine hailing from Southern Italy: Aglianico (ah-lee-ahn-ick-oh). This grape is super rustic and meaty and has that high acidity and full body we’re looking for in this pairing. This is a fun grape to explore if you’ve never had it before—many wines will say it on the label, or you could look for a bottle from the Taurasi region.
Overall Pairing Notes
As with many pasta dishes, we’ve got lots of option when it comes to pairing wine with Lasagna. My biggest recommendation is to pick up an Italian red wine as they will naturally pair with tomato sauce. Choose a wine that is heavy (full-bodied) with moderate tannin to match the weight of lasagna. Happy Pairing, friends!
