If you think pizza is for Super Bowl games and kiddie birthday parties – think again. Increasingly, discerning foodies are seeking gourmet pizzas that pair well with delicious, fine wines. What’s more, epicurean experts are recognizing that pizza is a classy culinary delight, and a natural match with the right Napa Valley wine.
Seasoned Pizzerias Recognize the Wine Connection
Today, the stereotype of greasy slices with plasticine-like crust is going by the wayside, and wine has a lot to do with upping pizza’s reputation among foodies over the last few years. It’s true that a lot of pizza joints are all about toss and slap in the pan. However, pizza makers are carving out a place of prestige among upper crust restaurants. Much of this has to do with restaurants treating pizza with more finesse and sensitivity.
Additionally, pizza restaurant owners are starting to recruit the power of wine perfectly paired with their artisanal pizzas. Ergo, better made pizza coupled with sublime Napa Valley wine is the premier recipe for pizza restaurateurs to achieve winning status in the world of culinary competition.
The History of Pizza and Wine
Pizza and wine go together like traffic and weather – just ask any Italian, and they’ll tell you. In fact, wine and flatbread pizzas were first enjoyed by the ancient Romans over 4,000 years ago. Over the centuries, pizza and wine lost their wonder-twin power status, and the beverage of choice became beer with a slice. Today, pizza and wine are beginning to reconcile their ancient marriage, and pizza restaurants are relying on superior Napa Valley wines to resurrect this time-honored, perfect pairing.
How Pizza Restaurants Benefit From Wine Pairings
Whether you live or visit Napa Valley, you know that the area is a mecca for sensational, Michelin Star restaurants such as The French Laundry and La Toque. Many would argue that this enviable status of royalty in Napa restaurants is directly related to the phenomenal wines of the valley.
That’s why pizza restaurants around the world are pairing their pizzas with Napa wines. But that’s not all pizzerias are doing to restore the partnership between pizza and wine. Here are a few insights into how high-quality wines are inspiring pizza makers and foodies alike to flock towards the new trend of pizza and wine pairing.
The Secret Behind Celebrating the Marriage of Pizza and Wine
Master pizzaioli (pizza makers), understand that in order to consummate the marriage of a fine wine they must couple it with an equally stellar quality pizza. That’s why, increasingly, pizza restaurants are reexamining the intricate art of pizza making. Many pizza crafters are discovering that fire is the secret to sublimely made pie that goes well with wine. We’re talking about wood-fired pizzas.
This is an ancient method of making pizza that somehow lost its way in the era of electric conveyor-belt style pizza ovens. In a race to improve their business and supply loyal customers with more artisanal pizzas, restaurants are starting to stand up and pay attention to the resurgence of wood-fire pizza ovens.
Of course, top quality ingredients contribute to the excellence of a pizza. However, the true linchpin in baking the perfect slice is all in how it’s cooked. A restaurant pizza cooked with a wood-fueled dome pizza oven is irrefutably far more superior tasting than conventional oven-cooked pizzas.
Why Wood Fired Pizza Pairs So Well With Wine
Various pizzarias such as Napa’s own Ca’ Momi Osteria (which also owns Ca’ Momi Winery in Napa), understand that wood-fired pizza takes on the essence of smoke. In turn, the flavor, chew and overall taste of a smoke-imbued pizza is a far better partner for a Napa Valley wine.
For example, the aroma and tangy bite of a wood-fired pesto pizza is exquisite with a white pinot noir wine from the Valley because its refreshing essence tempers the punch of smoky pesto. Alternatively, a traditional fired pepperoni pie needs a bold wine to stand up to that full-on flavor, so a cabernet sauvignon might be ideal. And when you factor in the element of smoke in a wood-fired pizza, that elevates the mix, mingle, and magic of a well paired wine with any thoughtfully crafted pizza.
In conclusion, there are many wineries and pizzerias uniting to resurrect the ancient tradition of relishing the flavors of well-paired pizza and wine together. So, the next time you go for a slice, make sure it’s wood-fired, and pair it with the right Napa wine companion for a most superbly divine feast.