Classic Deliciousness
Spaghetti with meatballs is an Italian-American dish made of spaghetti pasta, tomato sauce, and meatballs. In Italian, the course is known as maccheroni alla chitarra con polpette. However, the spaghetti with meatballs dish was an alternation created by Italian immigrants in New York City back in the 1800s.
Undeniably, spaghetti and meatballs is a comforting course that many American restaurants serve on a day-to-day basis. And cooking it at home is as easy as it sounds. All you have to do is prepare the meatballs with whatever ingredients and spices you prefer, along with a typical tomato sauce, and boil your spaghetti pasta. Use fresh or canned tomatoes and any kind of ground meat, from beef to pork to chicken, depending on your tastes.
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(4.9 / 5) What Wines Pair Well With Spaghetti and Meatballs?
As mentioned above, there is really nothing like a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. However, to make this food even tastier, you have to serve it alongside hearty Italian wine, including Chianti Classico, Primitivo, or Aglianico.
Tomato-based dishes show high acidity and need bold wines to counterbalance the acidic nerve of the tomato sauce. In addition, the juicy red fruit tastes and earthy notes of red wines guarantee a perfect wine pairing, as well. Besides, Italian wines have some of the best acidity, so they are a no-brainer when it comes to a successful spaghetti and meatballs wine pairing.
What Wine to Avoid?
You want to avoid light-bodied wines, such as a young Pinot Noir, as they might clash with the dish. Additionally, stay away from big and powerful wines, like Syrah, Bordeaux, and Cabernet Sauvignon. That said, remember that some examples of these wines might actually make a nice spaghetti and meatballs wine match. Finally, avoid white wine, too. Unless you are going with a super heavy and acidic white, red wine seems the clear winner in this food and wine pairing.
Best Red Wines With Spaghetti and Meatballs
Bacio Divino Pazzo
- Winery — Bacio Divino
- Country/Region — United States, California, North Coast, Napa County, Napa Valley
- Type — Californian Red
- Aroma — Cherry, Boysenberry, Blackberry, Plum, Tobacco, Pepper, Forest Floor
- Grapes — Sangiovese
- Taste — Blueberry, Raspberry, Fig, Prune, Sage, Thyme, Game Meat, Toasted Oak, Chocolate, Coffee
- Alcohol Content — 14.9%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Spaghetti and Meatballs, Rib-eye Steak, Wild Boar, Roast Chicken, Mushroom-based Dishes
Luscious and Rich
This red wine carries notes of sweet tobacco, red and black fruits, and pepper in a fine, smooth, and irresistibly balanced style. Whiffs of cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, and plums dance on the nose as gentle notes of pepper, tobacco, and forest floor contribute aromatic depth. The palate is luscious and rich, packed with delicious flavors of raspberries, blueberries, figs, and prunes. At the same time, subtle touches of dried herbs, game meat, and toasted oak are accentuated by tastes of chocolate and coffee. The thick tannins are undeniably palatable and drive into a lengthy, moderately acidic finish.
A Family-Owned Wine Firm
Bacio Divino Cellars is a family-owned winery known for producing exemplary Cabernet Sauvignon and other red wines. Founded in 1993 to produce high-quality wine from the vine-dappled peaks of St. Helena in Napa Valley, Bacio Divino Cellars wines are terroir-driven and made with thought, dedication, heart, and labor. Except for Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery also produces wines from Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Viognier.
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico
- Winery — Isole e Olena
- Country/Region — Italy, Toscana, Chianti, Chianti Classico
- Type — Italian Chianti
- Aroma — Red Cherry, Raspberry, Plum, Leather, Oregano, Spice, Tobacco
- Grapes — 82% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, 3% Syrah
- Taste — Red Cherry, Vanilla, Raspberry, Licorice
- Alcohol Content — 13.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Spaghetti and Meatballs, Lasagna, Red Pasta, Salami Sandwich, Chicken Curry
Tasting Notes
Complex and refreshing, the wine carries aromas of dark fruits alongside notes of earth and flavors of nuts, game meat, and plums. The dusty tannins are well-integrated, as the bright acidity carries excitement and freshness. Drinking window: 2021-2035.
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico opens to a stream of beautiful aromas of blackberries, cherries, and boysenberries, with hints of violets, soil, and underbrush. The fruit has undergone stainless steel fermentation, and the wine has also aged in oak for about 7 months. This effect leads to the formation of a compact palate, as the natural freshness brims from flavors of plums, almonds, cassis, and game meat. The tannins are dusty and grainy and support the rounded texture, while the finish is long and flavorful.
A Tuscan Story
Established in the 1950s, Isole e Olena is the creation of the DeMarchi family, which purchased two vineyards in Tuscany and combined them into one. Since the 1970s, Paolo DeMarchi has evolved into a renowned winemaker in the region by improving Chianti blends and producing 100% Sangiovese wines with complexity and aging potential.
Fontanavecchia Vigna Cataratte Riserva
- Winery — Fontanavecchia
- Country/Region — Italy, Campania, Taburno
- Type — Southern Italy Red
- Aroma — Plum, Blueberry, Violet, Underbrush, Soil, Stone
- Grapes — Aglianico
- Taste — Blackberry, Cherry, Raspberry, Cinnamon Spice, Pepper, Cocoa, Brown Sugar
- Alcohol Content — 15%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Spaghetti and Meatballs, Beef Brisket, Ragu, Barbecue Sausages, Stewed Veal, Bolognese, Grana Padano, Asiago
Juicy Palate
Bright aromas of plums, soil, stones, and forest floor surface as the wine is uncorked, driving into a juicy palate packed with flavors of cherries, blackberries, and chocolate. Fontanavecchia Vigna Cataratte Riserva is a dynamic wine that starts with fragrances of plums, blueberries, violets, and hints of underbrush, soil, and stones.
On the palate, the luscious texture shows tastes of blackberries, cherries, and raspberries mingled with notes of cinnamon spice, pepper, cocoa, and brown sugar. The wine also displays enveloping, silky tannins, racy acidity, and a long, oak-influenced finish.
Careful Winemaking for Over a Century
Located in the province of Benevento, at Torrecuso, in Via Fontanavecchia, the Fontanavecchia winery has produced seducing and fascinating wines for over 150 years. On top of this, apart from being high-quality, Fontanavecchia wines are highly expressive of the locale, capturing the distinctive character of the Mount Heat Pentime, where the Fontanavecchia vineyards are planted.
The development of agricultural machinery has also enabled the improvement of the fields to such an extent as to cultivate Aglianico grapevines with extra passion, dedication, and care, resulting in delicious, irresistible wines.
Arcanum Il Fauno di Arcanum
- Winery — Arceno
- Country/Region — Italy, Toscana
- Type — Tuscan Red
- Aroma — Blackberry, Vanilla Bean, Raspberry, Potting Soil, Cedar, Thyme, Mint
- Grapes — Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
- Taste — Strawberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Coffee, Tomato Leaf, Pepper, Licorice, Leather
- Alcohol Content — 14%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Spaghetti and Meatballs, Filet Mignon, Roast Chicken, Lamb Chops, Pork Loin, Gorgonzola
Full of Flavor
Big ripe blackberry aromas join vanilla bean, earth, and cedar notes on the nose. The mouthwatering palate is packed with flavors of strawberries, cherries, and chocolate. Soft tannins offer structure, finishing long. A perfect red wine for any occasion.
Arcanum Il Fauno di Arcanum opens with fragrances of blackberries, raspberries, and potting soil, as well as touches of cedar, mint, thyme, and vanilla bean. In the mouth, luscious tastes of strawberries and cherries combine with chocolate, coffee, and tomato leaf to form the juicy palate. The tannins are soft and fine-grained and provide extra depth and structure. Surprisingly the acidity is racy and ends in a long aftertaste of licorice, pepper, and leather undertones. To sum it up, the wine shows softness and tenderness, yet the bold structure is impressive, a manifestation of quality craftsmanship.
An Ancient Wine Estate
Tenuta di Arceno is considered an ancient Tuscan wine estate and has a vast portfolio of high-quality wines across two classification levels, Chianti Classico, made from native Sangiovese and Toscana IGT made from international grape varieties. Situated at the southern edge of Chianti Classico in Castelnuovo Berardenga, a butterfly-shaped commune close to Siena, the region is home to renowned wine producers, offering a distinctive Chianti style than to the north.
San Marzano 60 Sessantanni Old Vines Primitivo di Manduria
- Winery — San Marzano
- Country/Region — Italy, Puglia, Manduria
- Type — Italian Primitivo
- Aroma — Raspberry, Cherry, Pomegranate, Plum, Vanilla
- Grapes — Primitivo
- Taste — Vanilla, Raspberry, Raisins, Prunes, Cinnamon, Tobacco, And Chocolate
- Alcohol Content — 14.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Spaghetti and Meatballs, Shish Kebab, BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Lasagna, Roasted Lamb
Amazing Depth
A density defines the wine’s nose and palate, translating into syrupy, fruit-forward aromas and a rounded, thick texture. Uplifting notes of herbs and cherries offer levity. The brisk, stimulating acidity mingles with dusty tannins offering support and depth.
Powerful and balanced, the wine displays pronounced aromas of raspberries, blackberries, and boysenberries, with overtones of licorice, maple syrup, and forest floor. On the palate, flavors of cherries, redcurrants, and plums meet gentle touches of molasses, sage, mint, and tomato leaf. Traces of raisins, figs, and prunes blend with the dusty tannins, providing support as the fresh acidity balances the ripeness out. The moderate finish sees tastes of chocolate and tobacco.
A Collective Effort
Cantine San Marzano was established in 1962 when 19 vine growers from the San Marzano di San Giuseppe village decided to cooperate to follow their dream of producing acclaimed quality wine. Over the years, the winery has grown, and now it attracts over 1,200 quality grapevine growers. With the use of modern vinification methods, San Marzano makes clean and elegant wines expressive of the ancient Puglian wine traditions. Therefore, when sipping a San Marzano wine, expect to taste tradition, passion, and contemporary craftsmanship as well as distinctive varietal components that reflect the locale.
Conclusion
As we reach the end of this list, keep one thing in mind that ultimately, the best red wine with spaghetti and meatballs is a personal preference. Sure, our wines are attractive drink options and guarantee mouthwatering sensations when paired with this hearty pasta dish, but, in the end, what you choose to sip with your food is up to you.
