But Elf, I’ve noticed it can be quite tricky to pair wine with the more spicy pizzas. Which red wine do you recommend?
Personally, I usually prefer a Chianti. I find the high acidity of the sangiovese grape helps counteract the acidity of the tomatoes and its low level of tannin complements the spicy ingredients. Also Chianti’s medium weight nicely balances the pizza, subtle enough not to overwhelm the cheese but hardy enough to stand up to the pepperoni. The wine's sweet, dark cherry and ripe plum fruit flavors and subtle earthy tobacco influences pick up the gamy, spicy flavors of the pepperoni, and the wine's oak provides sufficient structure without intruding. But, I would be interested to hear your thoughts.