What wine goes with pasta? It depends on the sauce

Wine with carbonara

Carbonara is all about fat -- eggs, guanciale, pecorino. The wine needs acidity to cut through that richness without competing with the savoury, umami depth of the dish. A crisp white works better than most reds here. Frascati is the Roman answer -- local, light, high acid, historically correct. A good Pinot Grigio from Friuli or a Vermentino does the same job. If you want a red, go lighter than you think -- a Frappato or a young Barbera rather than anything with significant tannin.

Wine with arrabiata and tomato-based pasta

Tomato sauce has high natural acidity. The wine needs to match that acidity rather than contrast with it -- a low-acid wine next to a tomato sauce tastes flat and lifeless. Chianti is the classic answer and it is classic for a reason. The Sangiovese grape has naturally high acidity that locks in with tomato beautifully. For spicy arrabiata, avoid anything heavily tannic -- the tannin will amplify the chilli and make both the food and the wine taste harsh.

Wine with cacio e pepe

Cacio e pepe is deceptively simple -- cheese, pepper, pasta water. The pepper is the pairing challenge. It amplifies tannin the same way chilli does, which rules out most serious reds. A medium-bodied white with some texture works well -- a white Burgundy or a barrel-fermented Verdicchio has enough weight to stand up to the cheese without fighting the pepper. If you want a red, Frappato from Sicily is low enough in tannin to handle the spice.

Wine with bolognese

Bolognese is a slow-cooked meat ragu -- rich, fatty, deeply savoury. This is where tannin earns its place. The fat in the meat softens the tannin and the tannin grips the fat in return. Sangiovese again -- a Rosso di Montalcino or a serious Chianti Classico -- is the obvious call. A Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the value alternative. Avoid light reds and anything aromatic. Bolognese wants something with backbone.

Wine with seafood pasta

Vongole, prawn linguine, crab spaghetti -- seafood pasta is delicate and the wine needs to be too. High-acid whites only. Vermentino from Sardinia is one of the best pairings in Italian food -- the saline, citrus character mirrors the sea without competing with it. Falanghina and Greco di Tufo from Campania work equally well. Red wine with seafood pasta is almost always a mistake.

At a restaurant with pasta on the menu

Upload the wine list to Pour with your pasta dish and it will make the call based on what is actually on the list. It thinks about the sauce, the fat content, the spice level -- and finds the right bottle from what you have available rather than what would theoretically be ideal.

Ordering pasta at a restaurant? Upload the wine list to Pour and get the right pairing for your sauce.