Best Wine With Alfredo: Our 5 Favorite Pairings

  • Last Updated - 3/3/23
best wine with alfredo

Quick Answer: Chardonnay, preferably from Willamette Valley or Chablis. Both of these wines will complement the meal's flavors while also having enough acidity to cut through the creamy richness of the dish.

This “made in Italy but popular in America” dish, is a creamy and delicious pasta made with butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. By merely listing the ingredients, it’s clear how rich and wonderful it’ll taste.

This dish can be served with a variety of different wines, but we have narrowed it down to our five (5) favorites.

Table of Contents

What is Alfredo?

creamy alfredo sauce taste pinot noir pinot noir

Alfredo sauce is a simple dish that takes little time to prepare. To make the sauce, sauté garlic and butter together while gradually adding heavy cream until it thickens and becomes a creamy pasta sauce. Grated parmesan cheese and parsley are popular additions.

And it’s typically made with fettuccine pasta and topped with chicken or shrimp. Therefore, it’s also commonly called Fettuccine Alfredo or Chicken Alfredo/Shrimp Alfredo.

It’s named after Alfredo di Lelio, who created the Italian dish at his restaurant in Rome in the early 1900s. However the fact is, that Fettuccine Alfredo never became popular in Italy like it did in the United States. And now its one of the most popular pasta dishes in America, and can be served with a variety of different meats and vegetables. 

What are the Best Wine Pairings with Alfredo?

pinot grigio pinot grigio italian food pinot noir

1) Willamette Valley Chardonnay

Typically this Oregon Chardonnay has beautiful aromatics of white flowers, pear, lemon, citrus, and a touch of oak. And the palate is full of minerality, citrus, ginger, and white peach. They are much leaner with more acidity than California oaked Chardonnays.

It’s the perfect wine pairing with Alfredo because the acidity can cut through the richness of the sauce. And there is also a chance that the wine has a hint of buttery undertones, which will complement the Alfredo sauce even more. But not too much to make it cloying.

So unless you love the wine and don’t mind a very very rich and heavy meal, avoid the oaked buttery Chardonnays from California.

2) Chablis

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Chablis is a French chardonnay that is known for its high acidity and minerality. It has aromas of lime, lemon, and white flowers. The palate is dry with flavors of citrus, pear, flinty and mineral taste.

And for the same reasons as a Willamette Valley Chardonnay, this white wine will also pair well with Alfredo because of its high acidity that will act as a palate cleanser in between bites of this heavy and rich dish.

3) Dry Riesling

Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling

A dry Riesling is a white wine that is crisp, clean, and steely with refreshing acidity. Typically the wine has aromas and flavors of green apple, citrus, jasmine, petrol, and minerals.

One of the best and most versatile wines to pair with food. And it’s easy to see why, with this dish. The clean and crisp fruit flavors of this white wine will perfectly complement the Alfredo sauce, while the acidity will help to cut through the creaminess of the dish.

A crisp and refreshing Pinot Grigio (Italian white wine) or Sauvignon Blanc (another white wine with high acidity) will also work out nicely here. 

4) Sparkling Rosé

Sparkling Rosé best sparkling wine equivalent other sparkling wines

This is a fun food and wine pairing to try! It gives your meal some color when all you see is a white and pale yellow dish filled with thick cream, butter, and parmesan cheese.

A Sparkling Rosé is a light-bodied and refreshing wine, with a pink hue. It has aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and roses. This is a great choice for those who want something a little lighter and more refreshing.

The fruity flavors of the wine will go well with the Alfredo sauce, while the bubbles will help to cleanse your palate between bites. So therefore most sparkling wines should pair well if you choose not to try a Sparkling Rosé.

5) Zinfandel

saldo zinfandel wine for beginners

A Zinfandel is a red wine that is fruity and jammy with aromas and flavors of blackberries, raspberries, plums, and spices. It has a medium to full body with moderate to high tannins.

You might be thinking, why would I want to pair a red wine with Alfredo? But trust me, it works. The fruitiness and jamminess of the wine will go well with the creamy and cheesy sauce. While the tannins will help to cut through the richness of the dish. Lastly, the pasta will have a lovely touch of spice from the pepperiness of the wine.

FAQs

What kind of wine goes with alfredo?

Sparkling, white, and red wines will all go well with Alfredo. Our choices of the best wines to pair with Alfredo are Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, Sparkling Rosé, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir.

What wine goes with creamy pasta?

The best wines to pair with creamy pasta dishes is a white wine with high acidity. Some of our favorite fettuccine alfredo wine pairings are Chablis, Italian Pinot Grigio, Dry Riesling, and Sparkling Rosé.

What goes well with pasta alfredo?

Wine! A dry crisp white wine with high acidity or a light to medium bodied red wine should go well with pasta alfredo (fettuccine alfredo).

What type of wine goes with fettuccine?

Depends on the sauce. If you’re having a tomato-based sauce with fettuccine pasta, then a red wine, like a Pinot Noir, might pair best. If you’re having a creamy white sauce with fettuccine (like fettuccine alfredo), look for something dry and sparkling with lots of acidity.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed this blog post on wine pairing with alfredo pasta. And try these food and wine pairings at your next dinner party!

So if you liked this article, be sure to check our other food and wine pairings like:

Cheers!

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