Oftentimes, wines are always appreciated if it is partnered with food. You take a sip while at the same time enjoying a mouthful of your favorite dish.
Though various dishes can be paired with different types of wine, you may have come across Lasagna as one of the common dishes that is usually paired with wine. Hence, you may have wondered what wine goes with Lasagna.
What Wine Goes With Lasagna?
Although there is a wide selection of wine that you can pair with Lasagna, the best choice will always be Sangiovese. It is simply because you can pair Sangiovese with any type and style of Lasagna.
Sangiovese
The best choice of wine to pair with any type of Lasagna is the Sangiovese. It is an Italian wine with a fruity aroma, a subtle taste, and low tannin content, thus making it perfect for lasagna pairing.
This wine is preferred by most red wine drinkers and lasagna lovers because of its versatility. The Sangiovese wine is very dry and has a high acidity content. Thus, it compliments all types of Lasagna, especially meaty Lasagna.
16 Best Wines you can pair according to the type of Lasagna
We have gathered some information on the best wines you can pair according to the type of Lasagna.
Of course, choosing the wine that suits perfectly the Lasagna you are about to eat is highly advisable. Though it has a wide variety of selections, and you can also mix and match the other pairings, we have only listed a few that Lasagna and wine lovers love.
Take a look at the summarized table below and learn what wines are highly recommended to be paired with every type of Lasagna:
TYPE OF LASAGNA | WINE NAME |
Vegetarian Lasagna | 1. Barbera
2. Grenache 3. Primitivo |
Meat Lasagna | 1. Pinot Noir
2. Mencia 3. Dolcetto |
White Lasagna | 1. Arneis
2. Chardonnay 3. Trebbiano 4. Viognier |
Chicken Lasagna | 1. Chianti
2. Merlot 3. Oaked Chardonnay 4. Vermentino |
Seafood Lasagna | 1. Chenin Blanc
2. Soave |
4 Best Wine that goes very well with Vegetarian Lasagna
We have concluded 4 best wines and the most in-demand wine that goes very well with Vegetarian Lasagna. These are the Barbera, Grenache, Primitivo, and Zinfandel.
Read through below to learn more about these wines:
Barbera
Barbera wine originated in Italy and has a high acidity content yet a low tannin content, making it a perfect pair for tomato-based dishes such as Vegetable Lasagna.
This wine is light yet fruity and contrasts with lasagna’s flavors, making it very refreshing. Moreover, the acidity also increases the individuality of each ingredient and taste of the vegetable lasagna.
Grenache
Grenache wine has a wide variety of fruity flavors hinting from dried herbs, red grapes, and licorice. Thus, its richness in flavors and uniqueness makes it go well with vegetarian lasagnas, such as those that are stuffed with some bechamel sauce and eggplants.
Primitivo
You can never go wrong when pairing your vegetarian Lasagna with Primitivo wine because it is an Italian red wine that compliments well with vegetarian lasagnas such as those that have grilled mushrooms, eggplants, and onions.
3 Best Wine that goes very well with Meaty Lasagna
We have also concluded the 3 best wines that go very well with meaty lasagnas, which are the ones that lasagna and wine lovers highly recommend.
Read through below to learn more about these wines and why they are best paired with meaty lasagna:
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is best paired with meaty lasagna due to its lightly refreshing fruity red wine with the taste of strawberries and cherries. Moreover, it is sufficiently acidic. Hence, its flavor will complement the tomato sauce of your lasagna.
This is a highly sophisticated red wine, and you get what you pay for. Therefore, you can never go wrong with Pinot Noir when pairing it with your meaty lasagna.
Mencia
Mencia Wine originated in the Northwestern part of Spain and has a high versatility when it comes to food pairing. However, it is highly advisable to pair it with any meaty lasagna because the wine’s fruity and floral flavors complement the juice and meatiness of the lasagna.
Dolcetto
Dolcetto Wine originated in Italy and is relatively easy to drink. It is best paired with any hearty Italian dishes such as pizza and pasta, primarily those with tomato sauce, eggplant, and meat. Its high acidity content and fruity flavor complement the meaty lasagna very well.
4 Best Wine that goes very well with White Lasagna
There are 4 best wines that we have concluded go well with white lasagna, all of which are popular and bought by many lasagna and wine pairing enthusiasts.
Read through below to learn more about these wines and why you should pair them with white lasagna:
Arneis
Arneis is a wine that is highly recommended to be paired with dishes that do not have intense flavors because Arneis itself is already sweet. It would help if you paired it with white lasagnas, a perfect contrast for the taste of this wine.
Chardonnay
The most popular white wine in the world is Chardonnay. Its crisp, oaky, rich, and clean make it a perfect pairing with white lasagna. Though it can also be paired with vegetarian lasagnas, most people partner Chardonnay with dishes that have creamy sauces, such as white lasagnas.
Trebbiano
Trebbiano wine is also recommended to be paired with white lasagna because of its excellent acidity, which complements the creamy white lasagna. Moreover, this dry white wine has a pleasing aroma that is often paired with cheeses.
Viognier
Viognier wine has a wide variety of flavors ranging from honey pair and stone fruit flavors such as peach, apricot, and nectarine. Moreover, it is also rich in aroma and other exotic fruit flavors. It is often paired with creamy white lasagna and different creamy cheeses.
4 Best Wines that go very well with Chicken Lasagna
We have concluded that the 4 best wines are best paired with chicken lasagna, which includes the Chianti, Merlot, Oaked Chardonnay, and Vermentino.
Read through below and learn more about each wine:
Chianti
Chianti Wine is a dry red wine that originated in Tuscany, Italy. It has a refreshingly high acidity content and healthy tannin levels, making it a perfect pairing with chicken lasagna. Its familiar flavors are strawberry, dried herbs, smoke, and cherry, which complement the chicken lasagna.
Merlot
Though, some chicken lasagna recipes are made with tomato-based or any red sauce. Hence, these recipes are perfectly paired with a much more robust red wine, the Merlot. Its low tannin levels and fruity and soft undertones complement the chicken lasagna’s ingredients.
Oaked Chardonnay
Oaked Chardonnay can also be a good pairing with chicken lasagna because it is a much bolder white wine.
Vermentino
Vermentino originated in Italy, and it has a dry and oily nature. Its sharp and bitter flavor makes it perfect for sweet chicken lasagna recipes.
Frequently, chicken lasagna recipes are based with sauce and some cheese and cream, making Vermentino an ideal pairing for chicken lasagna recipes because its bright and high acid content cuts through the texture of the creamy lasagna.
2 Best Wine that goes very well with Seafood Lasagna
There are 2 best wines that we have concluded that go well with seafood lasagna recipes which you can try at home and enjoy with your friends and family:
Read through below to learn more about these wines and why you should pair them with seafood lasagna:
Chenin Blanc
The dry and off-dry styles of Chenin Blanc pair very well with seafood lasagna. The sweet flavors of toasted almond, mango, ginger, mandarin orange, and dried persimmon flavors of Chenin Blanc complement best the ingredients of seafood lasagna.
Soave
You can consider Soave wine as the love of the life for seafood lasagnas, and even though the price is not as expensive as the other types of wine, you can guarantee that its quality is not compromised.
Moreover, it has a wide selection of flavors ranging from Peach, Saline, Citrus Zest, Sweet Marjoram, and Honey Dew and this also gets better as it age.
4 Best Wines that Go well with lasagna
There is a wide variety of wines that pretty much go well with lasagna. Most of it is red wine, but there are also a few white wines that you can match with your lasagna as you enjoy it.
Take a look at the table below for your reference which wine you can pair with every type of lasagna:
Type of Lasagna ( | Lasagna Name (Recipe) | Type of Wine | Wine Name |
Tomato-Based Lasagna (Red Lasagna) | ● Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine
● Tomato Gratin Lasagna ● Tomato and Mozzarella Lasagna |
Red Wine | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Seafood Lasagna | ● Salmon Lasagna
● Tuna Lasagna |
Rose Wine | Bellavista |
White Lasagna | ● White Cheese Chicken Lasagna
● Homemade Creamy White Sauce Lasagna |
White Wine | Riesling |
Meaty Lasagna | ● Classic and Simple Meat Lasagna
● Three Meat Lasagna |
Red Wine | Merlot |
6 Do’s and Don’ts When Pairing a Wine with your lasagna
Pairing wine with your lasagna is like pairing your outfit for the day; it takes some time and a little mix and match until you finally get the perfect pairing.
If you are not used to pairing your lasagna with wine, you can start off by taking notes of these do’s and don’ts. This can help a novice like you until you finally find the perfect taste of wine that will complement your favorite type of lasagna.
Ensure that you know the wine that you will use
You must know your wine very well when you pair it with any type of lasagna. This is necessary because the characteristics of the wine, such as its flavor, acidity, sweetness level, and tannin, are essential factors in the combination of the food and wine.
You can also mix and match your favorite wine with the lasagna. Your familiarity with your favorite wine will help you not to be disappointed just in case the taste of both lasagna and wine do not match well.
Select a kind of wine according to your personal preference
Everyone has their personal preference when it comes to wine. You select a wine that you think will match pretty well with your lasagna according to your preference. Some people prefer it freshly made, and some like it aged or a little older.
Though it has been known to most people that aged wine tastes better compared to younger ones, this is not necessarily true.
Regardless of age, the wine still tastes good, but they differ in taste. Aged wines usually have a refined taste compared to the fruity and earthy flavor of freshly made ones.
Begin with old-aged wines
For a safer approach, you can also start your selection with older wine stored in the wine oak barrels for quite some time.
As mentioned above, aged wines have a more refined taste and a different texture because the aging process has allowed the astringent layers and tannin to become milder. With this, the taste of the aged wine will not overpower the flavor of the lasagna.
Wine should have a higher acidity
It is highly advisable to select a type of wine with a higher acidity content compared to the type of lasagna you are about to eat.
Do not choose a wine that you do not like the taste
If you are not familiar with the taste of the wine or if you have tried it already but did not like how it tastes, do not try to choose it and pair it with your lasagna even though others highly recommend it.
Remember that your tastebuds and preferences are different than others. Hence, you do not need to go with the norms. This hack is also helpful whenever you do not like the taste of your food; at least, choosing a wine you want will somehow comfort you as you wash the awful taste away.
Do not select a wine that has a high tannin content
Pairing a wine with a high tannin content with any lasagna is not advisable. Although it is still possible, especially when choosing according to your preference, lasagnas that contain high tannin content or those that age and become oaky tend to taste bitter and sharp.
4 Tips on How to Pair The Wine with your lasagna Properly
You must be aware that not all kinds of wine are best paired with any lasagna.
Remember that sometimes, it depends on the flavor or taste of both wine and lasagna. Thus, the best pairing is often a trial and error, but sometimes, you can try according to your preference. However, people may find it weird though.
But in case you want to play it safe and choose the highly recommended kinds of wine or follow the guidelines or tips on how to pair the wine with your lasagna correctly, make sure to follow the 4 tips below:
No to aged oaked wines and higher tannins
Avoid pairing your lasagna with wines that have a higher tannin content, as well as those that are aged oaked.
Consider the seasoning used
Make sure you consider the seasoning used in making the lasagna because they are essential in choosing the perfect wine pairing and combination. Moreover, it is also necessary that you consider the dominant flavor in your lasagna.
More acidity compared to the lasagna
It is highly advisable that your wine selection has a higher acidity content than lasagna. This will enable the contrasting of flavors and will come out as a perfect pairing.
Regional Match could be your core
A regional match is an excellent way to go whenever you are in doubt because you can try different lasagna recipes, partner them with local wines, and find the best combinations.
2 Frequently Asked Questions about Wine and Lasagna Pairing
We have listed below 2 frequently asked questions about Wine and Lasagna pairing to help you choose the best combination to enjoy it fully.
Can you pair sparkling wine with lasagna?
Yes, you can pair sparkling wine with any type of lasagna, but it is best paired with tomato-based lasagna. Sparkling wines have high acidity, which compliments the richness in flavor of the lasagna.
Dry sparkling wines are highly recommended when you want to pair it with lasagna because if you pair it with a sparkling wine with a higher sweetness level, you will find it disgusting because of too much sweetness.
Can you pair dessert wine with lasagna?
No, it is not advisable to pair a dessert wine with lasagna because of its high level of sweetness. The lasagna is already rich in sweetness, so it will overwhelm you.
Summary
Once you start pairing your lasagna with the recommended wines, you can never go back. Now that you know what wine goes with lasagna, you will always look for a glass of wine because your tastebuds will always crave it.
Make sure to keep in mind the do’s and don’ts, tips, and the recommended wines to pair with every type of lasagna.
George Moore, co-founder of Wine Flavor Guru, is a charismatic entrepreneur with a rich background in California’s wine industry. Alongside Sylvia, he transformed a Sonoma County vineyard into a source of premium wines. George’s expertise in sourcing exceptional grapes and his approachable style make wine appreciation both accessible and engaging.