Pasta and grains

Tomato-based pasta

Tomatoes are acidic enough to flatten a low-acid wine. Matching that acidity is the whole problem here.

Medium-bodied red

Classic

Balanced reds with moderate tannin and savoury, red-to-dark fruit character.

Tomatoes are highly acidic; a wine with matching acidity tastes balanced, while a low-acid wine turns flat and flabby beside them.

Try

Serve 14–17 °C

Solid

Reds where earth, herb, leather, and smoke lead ahead of primary fruit.

Herb and oregano-driven sauces find an echo in savoury, herbal reds.

Try

Serve 15–18 °C

Pairing suggestions are editorial, drawn from established convention rather than measurement.