Eggplant parmesan, otherwise known as eggplant alla parmigiana is a delicious Italian dish made from breaded eggplant. The eggplant is fried and topped with rich, creamy, and gooey melted cheese.
The dish is then complete with a sweet and tangy tomato sauce.
This delicious dish should be paired with a beautiful glass of wine, however, choosing the best wine can be tricky. It’s important to choose a wine that compliments the dish and doesn’t overpower it.
The fact you’re reading this post tells us you’re struggling to find the right wine. If you are, you’ve landed in the right place!
In today’s post, we’re going to show you the best eggplant parmesan wine pairings. We’ll show you the best wines that work well with eggplant parmesan, including Primitivo, Sangiovese, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Stay tuned to learn more!
Characteristics To Look Out For
Eggplant parmesan contains a rich and acidic marinara sauce, therefore, certain types of wine pair better with the dish than others.
A good rule to follow when trying to find wines that pair well with an acidic dish is to find a wine that also has high acidity levels.
Another good idea is to opt for medium-bodied wines that don’t contain many tannins. This will help you from overpowering the flavors in your dish.
With so many different characteristics to think about, we’ve decided to make your life easier by listing some of the most important characteristics you need to remember below!
- Sweetness – Dry
- Tannins – Smooth
- Acidity – High
- Body – Medium
- Tasting Notes – Crisp acidity, herbal notes, and rich fruit flavors
You can’t go wrong if you choose a wine with these characteristics.
The Best Wine To Serve With Eggplant Parmesan
Now you know the key characteristics to look out for, we can start to show you the best wines to serve with eggplant parmesan. If you’re looking for the best pairing, one of the following types of wine is perfect.
Primitivo
First up, we have Primitivo. Primitivo pairs nicely with eggplant parmesan because it’s an easy-drinking wine that’s not too heavy. It also has a warm fruity flavor that compliments the sweeter eggplant parmesan flavors.
Primitivo is also a great choice because it helps balance out the strong bitterness of the eggplant. Primitivo is essentially Italy’s version of a Zinfandel so you can expect a laid-back drink as opposed to something rich.
Sangiovese
Another red wine that pairs beautifully with eggplant parmesan is Sangiovese. Sangiovese offers herbal notes perfect for Italian food. Medium-bodied versions of this wine such as Chianti are perfect.
They both provide enough acidity to cut through large volumes of cheese without overpowering the delicate flavors of the dish.
Chardonnay
One of the best white wines you can serve with eggplant parmesan is Chardonnay. A Chardonnay without buttery and oaky flavors provides a strong burst of acidity that goes perfectly with the tangy marinara sauce.
Like a Sangiovese, Chardonnay also offers enough acidity to cut through the layers of rich cheese. Chardonnay is a medium-bodied wine that has a juicy flavor that tastes delicious alongside the comforting eggplant parmesan.
Barbera
Barbera is a light-bodied wine that pairs brilliantly with eggplant parmesan because it has high acidity. If you serve Barbera at a temperature of 55°F, you can expect it to offer a refreshing flavor too.
Like the other red wines we’ve looked at, Barbera also washes away the heaviness of the fried breading and cheese.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a good option if you want a wine that offers more herbal notes. Sauvignon Blanc contains all the elements you need to enjoy a fresh and acidic glass of wine along with your eggplant parmesan (Also check out Chicken Parmigiana & Wine Pairing).
Sauvignon Blanc tends to offer notes of freshly cut grass and asparagus. These two flavors work well with the marinara sauce.
Montepulciano
Despite being higher in tannins than Barbera, Montepulciano is still a good option. It is medium-bodied, juicy, and acidic. As a result, it’s a suitable eggplant parmesan pairing.
Montepulciano is famously paired with pizza dishes and the eggplant parmesan has similar qualities. The herbal notes complement the marinara sauce beautifully too.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we’ve shown you the best eggplant parmesan wine pairings. Now you’ve made your way through the information we provided, you should now have a great understanding of the different wines that go well with eggplant parmesan.
Generally, there is a wide range of different types of wine that complement eggplant parmesan, but the ones in this post are the best.
We recommend that you narrow the options down and pick the bottle of wine you like best!
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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