Everyone knows of Chicken Alfredo, right? There’s something about that super rich and creamy sauce with soft and tender chicken and pasta all mixed together that is just so comforting. It’s easily a fan-favorite meal.
But what many don’t know is what varieties of wine work the best to ensure that you get the most out of each and every bite of your favorite dish. Technically speaking, you’ll want to opt for a pretty acidic wine since there is such a high-fat content in the meal.
This acidity will slice through the fat and ensure that with each forkful you get a burst of all those delicious flavors.
Usually, a fruity yet dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Orvieto tends to be the most optimal choice, though a light red such as Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Barbera can also work wonders.
If you’d like to learn more about the best chicken alfredo and wine pairing, keep reading, as we’re about to delve into further detail.
Our Top Chicken Alfredo & Wine Pairings
Chicken Alfredo & Chardonnay
With the right chardonnay, you won’t find a better match to go with your scrumptious chicken alfredo. A rich and full-bodied chardonnay often has a creamy and buttery flavor to it, which as you can imagine, complements the dish perfectly.
Not only this, but you’ll often find hints of apple, pair, and an array of other tropical flavors in this wine that cut through the sauce impeccably. This really helps to make the tender chicken of the dish the shining star.
However, it is vital to remember that not all chardonnays are exactly alike. You’ll want to steer clear of Chardonnays that are overly oaky as they often have a negative impact on the dish. The sauce becomes overly woody or sweet and just becomes a lot less appetizing.
Cheaper chardonnays also tend to be made via wood chips and this can turn that beautifully buttery taste into one that tastes more like gone-off popcorn. Which is far from ideal.
So, if you are pairing your chicken alfredo with a chardonnay, just be sure that it is of decent quality. We would recommend either a Macon, Puligny Montrachet or a Mendocino Chardonnay for the most optimal experience.
Chicken Alfredo & Orvieto
There’s a long-established notion that pasta should always be paired with an Italian wine. And we can definitely see why. After all, if it grows together, it goes together, right?
Well, if you want to stick with the Italian theme, then you can never go wrong with a gorgeous glass of Orvieto.
Orvieto works so well because of its flavorings. This dry white wine features several fruity flavors such as peach, pear, apples, and citrus fruits.
And these give the beverage the necessary acidity to cut through the incredibly rich sauce and allow you to taste all the shining stars in your meal.
It also has a subtle almond flavor with a few hazelnut notes too. These also pair really well with chicken alfredo as they complement the flavors of both the pasta and the Parmesan cheese (Also check out Chicken Parmigiana & Wine Pairing).
The only issue that you may run into is finding the right balance for your meal. As it is a blended white wine, the ratios of grapes can differ from brand to brand, thus the flavor profiles never being quite the same.
Top tip – if you’d prefer more pronounced flavors opt for Orvieto Superiore as it has a richer flavor. And a higher alcohol content.
Chicken Alfredo & Italian Pinot Grigio
While there are certainly better pairings for Chicken Alfredo, an Italian Pinot Grigio is always a good and safe option.
If you are hosting a dinner party, you can be sure that almost all of the guests will enjoy this wine, and if you are out to dine, you know you’ll be able to order this staple wine from the wine list too.
Italian Pinot Grigio has a wonderful subtle yet crisp flavor to it that has delicious floral and fruity flavors.
The flavors throughout the wine won’t necessarily be complementary to the meal and bring out the dish’s flavors, but it will definitely keep your mouth refreshed between bites.
Other Pinot Grigios from other countries can also work well, but they tend to be much bolder in their flavor.
Chicken Alfredo & Barbera d’Asti
Barbera d’Asti can be a very great choice to pair with chicken alfredo, but it is far from the safest choice.
Typically, not everyone tends to enjoy this wine so if you are hosting a dinner party it may be worthwhile having a safer option on reserve for those who don’t get on well with it.
But should you like the taste, it’s the perfect option. It has a rich fruity flavor that is very refreshing in the mouth and tons of acidity that helps cut through the rich sauce and allow you to fully enjoy the flavors of the dish.
As we mentioned above, though, it also has a very distinctive flavor that isn’t for everyone. There’s certainly an earthiness to it that highlights flavors such as mushrooms, smoke, spice, and black pepper.
Chicken Alfredo & Beaujolais
For those who don’t know, this stunning red wine is essentially France’s version of an Italian Pinot Noir.
In many ways, it shares the same nature in terms of being medium-bodied, highly acidic, containing smooth tannins, and being the perfect pairing for a bowl of creamy and rich chicken alfredo.
It has a very fruity flavor to it with notes of blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, and red currant. The acidity helps to cut through all the fat and also leaves a very refreshing taste in your mouth.
And potentially best of all, it is a relatively cheap option that tastes great. Perfect for those on a budget or for larger dinner parties where you’ll need several bottles to share around.
Chicken Alfredo & Viognier
A stunning rich and perfumey white wine that works well with Chicken alfredo is Viognier. It’s full-bodied, a little bit spicy, and has a high alcohol content. You’ll also find that it highlights the flavors of your dish in a unique and wonderful way.
With some acidity from the fruity notes such as tangerine, mango, and peach, and some extra flavors of vanilla, honeysuckle, and nutmeg, it really helps to accentuate and complement the buttery creaminess of such a comforting and delightful dish.
Juicy, smooth, subtle, and sweet, it is one of the best white wines out there to pair with chicken alfredo.
Chicken Alfredo & Verdelho
Then we have another delicious white wine that originates from Portugal. It’s pretty difficult to get your hands on from out of this area, but if you can, you should definitely jump at the chance because it is truly phenomenal.
The wine is dry and acidic with quite a few fruity flavors too. Most predominantly it’s very citrusy, with a few undertones of herbs and pepper too.
Usually, this tastes best when paired with a chicken alfredo that has a mozzarella cheese base or blend.
Chicken Alfredo With Mushrooms & Pinot Noir
If you’re adding mushrooms to the mix with your delicious chicken alfredo, then you’ll definitely want to opt for Pinot Noir – it pairs perfectly. Now considering Pinot Noir is famous for its fresh, fruity, and light flavors, this might come as somewhat of a surprise.
But there is also an underlying earthiness present in this delectable red wine too.
The fruitiness and acidity of the wine help to cut right through all of the thick creaminess of the dish while those more muted forest floor flavors help to really make the mushrooms shine. Honestly, this dish and this wine together are a match made in heaven.
It’s worth noting though, that a good pinot noir is rarely inexpensive. And if it is, the results are likely to be of poor quality. It is better to opt for a different red wine that is cheaper than to choose an inexpensive pinot noir.
Final Thoughts
Chicken alfredo is a delightful dish that almost everyone enjoys. And so you’ll want to ensure that you serve a glass of wine as equally wonderful besides it.
Hopefully, from reading this article, you’ll have a much better understanding of the types of wines that suit this dish best.
Whichever of the wines you decide upon that have been recommended throughout this article are sure to go down as an absolute treat. So, the hard part now is deciding which of these amazing wines to try first!
I can offer you articles and information about wine from a seasoned sommelier, and now a winemaker too! I hope that you enjoy some of our articles, and start thinking outside of the box when it comes to wine.
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