At the table

Pasta with tomato sauce

With tomato sauce, look for a wine that also has freshness: fruity reds with good acidity are particularly easy to pair.

The pairing

Why it
works.

Tomatoes naturally bring a lot of acidity. If the wine lacks freshness, it can seem heavy or a little flat next to the dish. That’s why Italian reds like Chianti and Valpolicella work so naturally with a tomato sauce.

The topping then lets you fine-tune the choice. A very simple tomato sauce calls for a fresh, fruity red. With meatballs, sausage, or a more slowly simmered sauce, you can choose a wine with a bit more body and spice.

In practice

With tomato, think acidity first. The simpler the sauce, the more the wine can stay light and fresh. If you add meat, sausage or a sauce that’s been cooked slowly for a long time, you can step up slightly in structure.

In the glass