As a wine lover, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as finding the perfect wine when enjoying good food. There is something about Italian culture and food that lends itself so well to wine. Nailing the perfect wine combination doesn’t have to be insurmountable. The best wine pairings for bolognese is one of the most frequently
Getting started pairing your bolognese with a perfect wine.
Bolognese sauce is a thick red meat-based sauce, is made with tomatoes. However, the meat is the real star of the show often featuring a combination of beef, lamb and/or pork. Usually traditional dishes will include considerable amounts of wine and tomato paste – so this is something to remember when selecting a wine – ensuring you find the right balance with what’s in the dish as well.
Acidic tomato paste will cause red wines with low acidity to taste flat and metallic. However there are many variations Bolognese, so if your sauce has very little tomato sauce or meat, you should consider pairing it with tannin-heavy reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Merlot.
Best Wine with Pasta Bolognese
Chianti Classico Bolognese Pairing
Chianti Classico is the perfect wine to go with Pasta Bolognese. It is both is high in acidity and tannin, partnering well with a rich acidic sauce without falling flat.
The amount of tannin helps a Chianti break down meat flavours and makes the Bolognese sauce richer and more savoury. The acidity keeps your palate clean, so every bite tastes as fresh as the previous.
A Chianti Classico is a popular choice for its bright red and black cherry flavours, as well as hints of plum, raspberry, and sun-dried tomato will compliment the dish, while it’s rustic flavours like black pepper, tobacco and thyme blend perfectly with your meaty sauce.
However, there are many Chianti bottles that contain 100% Sangiovese. These are my favourite, but it can be difficult to remember the details when you’re new to wine. Chianti Classico made it simple for you. All wines labeled Chianti Classico (meaning at minimum 80% Sangiovese), will have a silhouette indicating a black rooster on their necks. This little black rooster is my saving grace over the years. It guarantees you a good Chianti.
Italian Dolcetto & Pasta Bolognese Pairing
An Italian Dolcetto is a great pairing for lighter pork based bolognese. Dolcetto, Italian for “little sweet one”, is well-known for its vibrant and light flavours of strawberry, raspberry, plum and plum. This wine is best sipped young, as it’s an aromatic and juicy red wine with delicious fruit flavors are balanced by notes of almond, earth and licorice. These notes will all go well with your Bolognese sauce.
Dolcetto is medium in both tannin and acidity making it a great partner to lighter meats in a bolognese. It is medium in acidity but has sufficient punch to withstand the tomato pasta. Dolcetto, which can be comparable to Beaujolais in its friskyness and low alcohol, makes a great accompaniment to a Bolognese Sauce recipe that uses lighter meats like chicken, pork, or turkey.
Primitivo & Pasta Bolognese Pairing
Primitivo, an Italian version of Zinfandel is a more acidic wine with a classic rustic Italian charm. Primitivo’s acidity means that it will pair well with bolognese sauce heavy on tomato paste. The earthy flavours complement any herbs or any earthy diced vegetables (bell peppers and onions, garlic) added to your sauce.
Primitivo red wine is easy to drink with lovely flavours of plum and cherry, raspberry, jam, and other dark fruits and notes of tobacco, cinnamon and dark chocolate can also be found, as well as earthy feeling that complement your dish perfectly.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo & Beef Bolognese Pairing
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, an Italian red wine, has deep fruit flavours it is earthy and rich with notes of leather and licorice. Low in acidity and high in tannin it pairs well with a bolognese made from beefier ingredients.
The high tannin content allows the rich, dark fruit flavours of this wine to shine through and the earthier, spicier flavours complement the bolognese.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, an Italian red wine that is inexpensive, makes a great pairing if you’re on a tight budget.
Barolo & Pasta Bolognese Pairing
A young Barolo is also a great match for Pasta Bolognese made with beefier ingredients. The wine has lots of acidity and tannin to overcome the tomato paste and meat in the Bolognese sauce. The wine is also more drinkable because of the Barolo’s high levels of fat and protein in bolognese sauce, this allows the wine to showcase its vibrant fruit flavours, including blackberry, cherry, and plum.
