Grab a Slice, Pour the Wine & Celebrate National Pizza Month

Submitted by Kenwood Vineyards

October is National Pizza Month, though Americans don’t need a special month to indulge in this lunch and dinnertime favorite. An astonishing 93% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month, and every man, woman and child in the country eats an average of 46 slices of pizza per year. Pizza and a glass of wine are a natural pairing, yet few food and wine matchmakers have ever tried this tasty combination – pizza and Sauvignon Blanc.

Pairing pizza and Sauvignon Blanc makes perfect, palate-pleasing sense. While toppings can range from almost nothing to almost everything, tomato sauce and cheese lie at the heart of pizza’s scrumptious flavors, and Sauvignon Blanc complements both. Sauvignon Blanc’s forward fruit/herb character enhances the herb-infused flavors of tomato sauce, while its crisp acidity serves as a foil to the richness of the cheese. When it comes to pairing pizza with Sauvignon Blanc, the style of the wine is key. A Sauvignon Blanc in which the fruit and herbal elements are in balance – like the popular and widely available Kenwood Vineyards Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc – works best. An intensely herbal Sauvignon Blanc paired with pizza pushes herb flavors to unpleasant heights, while an intensely fruity Sauvignon Blanc can taste bland.

While pizzas with most toppings pair well with Sauvignon Blanc, a few are truly inspired. A simple tomato, basil and cheese Margherita pizza is heavenly with Sauvignon Blanc, as is a pineapple and ham-topped Hawaiian pizza. A veggie pizza likewise is spectacular and one topped with goat cheese is an experience to savor.  

There also are a few pizzas for which Sauvignon Blanc simply isn’t a good match. A pizza with a spicy topping like sausage, pepperoni or barbecued chicken can overwhelm Sauvignon Blanc, while one that features a sweet tomato sauce – used by some big pizza chains – makes Sauvignon Blanc taste sour. In both these cases, a fruity, spicy red like the Kenwood Vineyards Sonoma County Zinfandel should be served instead. Of course, red wine fans will want to drink the Kenwood Zinfandel – a very versatile red – with every kind of pizza and that is perfectly okay; the only rule in food and wine pairing that shouldn’t be broken is to choose a wine you will enjoy.

So grab a slice, pour the wine and raise a glass to National Pizza Month. The celebration may well last all year!

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Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Recognized for her songwriting, musical versatility, artistic reinventions, and influence on the music industry, she is a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century.