• Stevie Kim, founder of the Italian Wine Academy in Verona, brought together a panel of experts on pizza and wine in a unique discussion on the social media platform Clubhouse.
• Renato Bosco, owner/chef of Saporé, wine critic Eleonora Cozzella and Italian radio/TV host Tinto were the featured guests and offered their expert suggestions.

Related: How to make your wine sales shine and create crowd-pleasing pizza-wine pairings

Which Italian wine goes best with pizza? That was the topic of discussion on the social media platform Clubhouse earlier this month, with Italian experts offering suggestions to an international audience of culinary experts, wine lovers and operators in Italy’s restaurant and wine industries.

The discussion was organized and hosted by the Italian Wine Club and created and moderated by Stevie Kim, founder of the Italian Wine Academy, a wine school based in Verona, Italy, and managing director of Vinitaly International.

The main players in this discussion were Tinto, the voice of “Decanter,” a program airing on Italy’s Radio2, and presenter of “Mica Pizza e Fichi,” which airs on La7, an Italian TV network; Renato Bosco, a modern and eclectic pizza maker who experiments with new leavening methods and owner of the Saporé pizzeria in Verona; and Eleonora Cozzella, a wine critic and journalist.

The discussion opened with Tinto’s brief overview of pizza history, followed by Bosco and Cozzella discussing the evolution of pizzerias, modern (or gourmet) pizza, and the introduction of the sommelier into pizzerias.

Kim then questioned the panelists and the audience about which wines they would pair with their pizzas. The top pizza-wine selections included:

Marinara and Anchovies: Pigato Superiore Riviera Ligure di Ponente; Schiava Alto Adige; and
100% bottle-refermented Glera La Rovesciata.

Margherita Pizza: Asprinio of Aversa; Franciacorta Saten; and Pinot Noir Alto Adige

Ortolana: Vermentino Maremma or Gallura; Nosiola Trentino; and Soave Classico

Pancetta: Lambrusco Salamino; Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo; and Bardolino

Ham, Ricotta and Spicy Salami: Sparkling Bombino (Apulia); Vernaccia of Serrapetrona; and
Cannonau

Capricciosa: Grillo Sicily; Grignolino Asti; and Langhe Nascetta

Artichokes: Etna White; Vernaccia of Oristano; and Nebbiolo Valtellina

Burrata and Crudo: Lambrusco of Sorbara; Ribolla Gialla Amphora; and Valpolicella current vintage

To conclude the evening, some audience members listed their favorite pizza and wine pairings, including: the traditional pizza Salsiccia e Friarielli with a Gragnano; Salame Piccante pizza with Vernaccia di Oristano; the Margherita with Bufala with Fiano di Avellino or a Chenin Blanc; and the Montanarina, a type of fried pizza, with Trento Doc.