News and Wine Blog
Wine and Tomatoes: How to pair.
08/21/2025
Brightly colored, flavorful, juicy tomatoes are spilling over in our gardens, farmers market boxes and store shelves. Right now my pots are overflowing with Roma and Heirloom tomatoes that are ripening everyday. I have been making dips and BLT’s and other sandwiches to use them up. I have been putting them on salads and just eating them by themselves. Making fresh red sauce for pasta and pizza is also helping to use up my supply.
When pairing wine with tomatoes, consider the tomatoes preparation and acidity level. If the food’s acidity outpaces the wine’s, the wine will come across flabby and lifeless. If the wine’s acidity is as high or higher than the tomatoes, the flavors together, can pop. The key to unlocking the tomato and wine challenge…Acid! Match acidity with acidity!
The basic rule is to select a wine with equal or higher acidity than the dish. Wines known for their bright, zesty acidity are the best picks.
As you head to the farmers market, grocery store or just outside your home to your garden, think about how you are planning to prepare your tomatoes and plan a stop at Vino Mas for a bottle of wine to go with your tomato dish. Cheers!
When pairing wine with tomatoes, consider the tomatoes preparation and acidity level. If the food’s acidity outpaces the wine’s, the wine will come across flabby and lifeless. If the wine’s acidity is as high or higher than the tomatoes, the flavors together, can pop. The key to unlocking the tomato and wine challenge…Acid! Match acidity with acidity!
The basic rule is to select a wine with equal or higher acidity than the dish. Wines known for their bright, zesty acidity are the best picks.
- Sangiovese (as in Chianti): A natural partner for tomato-based Italian dishes. Its cherry-bright acidity and moderate tannins are a classic match for pizza, lasagna, and marinara sauces.
- Barbera: Barbera offers vibrant acidity and juicy red fruit flavors that complement tomatoes beautifully.
- Pinot Noir: Light and fresh, Pinot Noir’s bright acidity can stand up to the tanginess of tomatoes, especially when there are earthy or herbaceous elements at play.
- Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Grüner Veltliner: Among whites, seek those with a crisp backbone and lively citrus or green notes to counterbalance the tomato’s brightness.
- In general, raw tomatoes tend to be high in acid, but cooking them softens their acidity and heightens their sweetness, which opens up lots of red wine-pairing possibilities like: Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Grenache, Italian Merlot or Cab Franc.
As you head to the farmers market, grocery store or just outside your home to your garden, think about how you are planning to prepare your tomatoes and plan a stop at Vino Mas for a bottle of wine to go with your tomato dish. Cheers!
Post By:
Deanna Albertson