Different kinds of wine go well with Chicken Parmesan. This favorite Italian-American dish is so popular that it could be found anywhere! If you’re the kind who chooses wine above all other beverages, you’re in luck. Here’s a simple guide on what kinds of wines taste great with Chicken Parmesan.
Chicken Parmigiana is an Italian-American favorite. It can go from fine dining, and casual dining to fast food dining from 0-100.
Chicken Parmigiana or Chicken Parmesan is a fillet of breaded chicken topped with marinara sauce and laced with Parmesan cheese and sometimes, mozzarella and provolone.
This dish originated in Italian neighborhoods in the United States. It is believed to be a variation of the Italian dish, melanzane alla Parmigiana which is breaded eggplants under tomato sauce and Parm.
Chicken Parmigiana became a restaurant staple in Italian-American establishments by the 50s and it has then kept its popularity rank. This cheesy delight has won the hearts of Americans that we often have it for dinner parties.
Here’s a list of wines that pair well with Chicken Parmigiana.
1. Montepulciano
Montepulciano is a medium-bodied wine that is originally from central Italy. It has dominant flavors of sour cherry, red plum, oregano, and boysenberry. It has an elevated acidity that would easily be paired with a variety of food from pizzas to rich pasta.
Montepulciano cuts through the richness of meats and dairy. It is also paired perfectly with roasted vegetables. Montepulciano is known to be one of the most easily paired wines as it goes well with most food.
2. Chianti Classico
Chianti Classico is one of the more favorite red wines to pair with food. Chianti has a marked acidity that pairs brilliantly with tomato sauces, pizzas, and pastas.
Chianti is good to pair with chicken Parmesan because of the balance between the boldness of the wine and the zing of the tomato sauce. If you’re looking for an easy pair of Chicken Parmesan, Chianti Classico is your best choice.
3. Nero d’Avola
Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s best grape and most loved grape for wine. This wine has fruit-driven flavors like that cherry, prune, black plum, and licorice. It is dry, full-bodied and has a high tannic level.
Nero d’Avola is usually paired with rich meat dishes such as lasagna, burgers, steaks, pork chop and barbecue but it pairs particularly well with our beloved Chicken Parmesan.
Chicken Parmesan is a richish dish because of the presence of that tart tomato sauce and heavy cheese on top. Nero d’Avola is not only great with rich meats but also great with cheese such as Parmesan, Provolone, Gruyere, and Fontina. The full-bodied wine harmonizes the richness of the dairy with its acidity.
4. Merlot
Merlot has notes of black cherry, raspberry and plum. It is sometimes backed with spice notes of cloves, vanilla and tobacco. This so-called “underdog” of a wine is pretty excellent. It has a soft finish with medium acidity and is excellently smooth.
It pairs with a wide variety of food, most particularly chicken. Merlot has medium tannin, which is great with saucier food like ours truly, Chicken Parmesan and Beef Bourguignon.
5. Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is often on the list of wines to have with so and so – and with reason! This kind of grape variety is versatile and matches not just the classic ones but bigger kinds of food.
One fact is that cheese is often paired with lighter and sweeter wines but who would’ve known that Pinot Noir would balance the cheese experience? This characteristic of Pinot Noir makes it a good match with Chicken Parmesan, as it is known to be cheesy and good.
Not only does the cheese match the wine but also the tomato sauce backs up the flavors, harmonizing everything in the entire dish with the wine.
6. Chardonnay
If you’re the type of person who isn’t really much into reds, Chardonnay is your best bet for matching with Chicken Parmesan. Chicken is typically paired with white wine because it is not as rich as other proteins and it has quite a delicate flavor.
Although Chicken Parmesan is topped with tomato sauces, which are laced with cheese, having this rich-ish dish doesn’t mean you can’t have it with lighter and more delicate wine.
The whole beauty of this dish is that you can see two sides of the coin. You can either see it as rich and heavy or light laced with dairy.
7. Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is the favorite white wine of a lot of us, which comes as no surprise because it is fresh, versatile and it fits well with balmy summery food.
Pinot Grigio is often paired with Italian favorites such as risottos, pasta and antipasti. The most loved antipasti with Pinot Grigio is caprese. There’s something about the engagement of tomato and Pinot Grigio that produces harmony in your mouth.
This characteristic of Pinot Grigio makes it well paired with Chicken Parmesan. Chicken Parmesan isn’t always meant to be rich but it could be light as well. When it is light, it is great with Pinot Grigio.
