For many, there’s nothing more fundamentally delicious than a hot, fresh slice of pizza. Whether topped with gooey cheese, savory pepperoni, roasted veggies or "everything," this versatile dish offers something for everyone. (And it’s possible it has for centuries!) What could make it even better? Great wine, of course. Perfect pairings for pizza abound, from fruity reds to rich whites to crisp sparklers.
To indulge in this classic dining favorite, head to these ten restaurants around the U.S. with crave-worthy pies and Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning wine lists. Each destination deliciously answers the classic question: What wines should you pair with pizza?
To check out more great wine dining spots across the globe, see Wine Spectator’s more than 3,500 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including the more than 90 Grand Award recipients that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Oenotri
1425 First St., Napa, Calif.
Telephone (707) 252-1022
Website oenotri.com
Best of Award of Excellence
In the heart of Napa Valley, Oenotri attracts winemakers and tourists alike with its Italian-focused, Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list. While California is represented, the moderately priced, 600-selection list champions lesser-known Italian wines such as Erbaluce, Nerello Mascalese and Refosco alongside classic Piedmont and Tuscan reds. Across a daily changing menu, chef Tyler Rodde offers plenty of choice dishes to pair with wine, such as Alaskan halibut served with beans and marinated cherry tomatoes and porchetta alla diavola with roasted delicate squash, along with antipasti and pasta options. Pizzas include highlights such as a classic Margherita pie with fior di latte, a “funghi” pie topped with two kinds of roasted mushrooms and leek crema, and an Italian sausage pie with caramelized onions and arugula. Oenotri also hosts a wine club, Goccino, that’s focused on Italian wines; members receive “somm-selected” wines, discounts on Oenotri’s wine list and complementary bites with each meal at the restaurant. The restaurant participates in local charitable efforts as well, such as the Feed Napa Now initiative from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley.
Pazzeria by Pietro’s
101 W. Austin St., Marshall, Texas
Telephone (903) 472-4555
Website pietros.net/pazzeria
Best of Award of Excellence
While you may not immediately associate the South with pizza, restaurants such as Pazzeria by Pietro’s are here to change that. This Texas destination pairs Neapolitan and Sicilian pies with a Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list. Owner and wine director Giuseppe Filippazzo—whose parents, Pietro and Rosaria Filippazzo, founded the Filippazzo Hospitality Group—has chosen more than 550 selections for the list, backed by an inventory of about 3,800 bottles. The emphasis is on Italy, with picks from the north down to Sicily, grapes from Nebbiolo to Nero d'Avola and wineries from Romano Dal Forno to Produttori del Barbaresco to Emidio Pepe. These are joined by a solid array of Champagnes, West Coast Pinot Noirs and Napa Cabernets, with rarer gems sprinkled throughout, such as 2006 Château Latour, 2009 Vega Sicilia Unico and multiple vintages of Penfolds Grange. On executive chef David Lichty’s menu, diners can choose from more than a dozen pizzas—such as the Brooklyn Delancy (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and shaved Grana Padano), the Five Boroughs (a classic cheese pizza with pepperoni, burrata, fresh basil and hot honey) and the Nonno Pipino (garlic alfredo sauce, mozzarella and sautéed shrimp)—or customize their own 9-, 14- or 18-inch pie.
Teca Newtown Square
191 S. Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, Pa.
Telephone (484) 420-4010
Website tecanewtownsquare.com
Best of Award of Excellence
For many restaurants, the wood-fired pizza oven is the core, the heart. Case in point, Best of Award of Excellence winner Teca Newtown Square in Newtown Square, Pa. Chef and co-owner Chris Scarduzio prepares a wide range of Italian dishes, including Roman-style pizzas such as the Quattro Formaggi (with mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta and Pecorino Romano cheeses), the San Daniele (prosciutto, mozzarella, baby arugula and shaved Parmesan) and, for truffle fans, the egg-centered Tartufo e Uovo (Kennett Square mushrooms, Fontina, mozzarella and truffle essence). Joining these pies is a 450-label wine list, supported by a 12,000-bottle cellar, from sommelier and general manager J.C. Rizzo, who shines a spotlight on Italy, California and France. Looking for bubbly? Diners can choose from a host of Champagnes, Proseccos, Moscatos and California sparklers. Ordering shellfish? Try a Sauvignon Blanc from the likes of Rombauer, or maybe a Sicilian white from Feudo Montoni.
Undici Taverna Rustica
11 W. River Road, Rumson, N.J.
Telephone (732) 842-3880
Website undicirestaurant.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Not far from the banks of the Navesink River, you’ll find Undici Taverna Rustica in a recreated Tuscan farmhouse in Rumson, N.J. The Italian influence carries over to the Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list overseen by owner and wine director Victor Rallo. The program offers 1,250 selections and focuses primarily on Tuscany and Piedmont, with plenty from the rest of Italy as well. That includes horizontal and vertical depth from wineries such as Lombardy’s ArPePe, Barbaresco’s Paitin and many others, as well as older vintages of acclaimed bottlings such as Antinori’s Solaia and Tignanello. In addition to roasted fish dishes, meats and house-made pastas, chef Giovanni Atzori’s menu features handmade pizzas (all wood-fired at 800° F) with classic toppings; this includes a pie with mozzarella di bufala, sausage, onions and sweet peppers and another with Puglia burrata and Burgundian black truffles, plus a classic Margherita (on the menu as the Originale).
Brava
65 Church St., Lenox, Mass.
Telephone (413) 637-9171
Website facebook.com/BravaBarLenox
Award of Excellence
Brava brings the cozy charm of a European wine bar to the heart of Lenox, Mass. Whitney Asher owns and operates the restaurant, overseeing the Award of Excellence–winning wine program of 185 labels. The list, which joins an extensive beer program, excels with wines from Italy and France and showcases more than 30 options by the glass. The food menu is a mix of tapas such as patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a smoky, spicy sauce) and gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), as well as handmade pizzas with toppings such as lamb merguez sausage and kale, fennel salami and spicy cherry peppers, and wild mushrooms with Fontina and thyme. Brava also boasts fun mix-and-match cheese and charcuterie plates, featuring anything from serrano ham to American triple cream cheeses.
The Florentine
JW Marriott Chicago, 151 W. Adam St., Chicago
Telephone (312) 660-8866
Website the-florentine.net
Award of Excellence
Whether it’s Neapolitan-style or the city’s famed deep dish, Chicago serves some of the country’s most beloved pizza. The city also offers plenty of delicious wine to enjoy it with, as diners will find at the Florentine, an Italian Award of Excellence winner from BLT Restaurant Group. Here, executive chef Eduardo Romero offers a menu of Italian classics like a Tuscan kale salad, prawns Milanese, linguini alle vongole and fettuccine with oxtail Bolognese. The pizzas range from a pie topped with prosciutto and stracciatella to one with shaved black truffles and fontina to another with lobster, caviar and crème fraîche. Guests can also order mainstays like the pepperoni and sausage pies. Alongside California, Italy is a star of general manger Elizabeth Wittrock’s 215-label list, which features Prosecco, Lambrusco, Gavi, Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Chianti Classico and more.
The Grove, Cucina & Wine
8815 S.E. Bridge Road, Hobe Sound, Fla.
Telephone (772) 402-5410
Website thegrovehobesound.com
Award of Excellence
Jen and Luis Reyneri, the wife-and-husband team behind the Grove, Cucina & Wine, met 20 years ago in Orlando, Fla. They opened the Grove, their dream restaurant, in 2019, and it earned its first Award of Excellence one year later. The restaurant’s frequently evolving wine list excels in Italy and France, while the food menu offers traditional Italian dishes alongside customizable, hand-tossed pizzas (with 20-plus toppings to choose from). The wine program keeps up with the flavorful menu, featuring pizza-friendly options such as rosato, Chianti Classico and Aglianico, as well as Amarone, Brunello and Barolo from producers such as Cesari.
La Lanterna di Vittorio
129 MacDougal St., New York City
Telephone (917) 639-3236
Website lalanternacaffe.com
Award of Excellence
Nestled in the West Village of Manhattan, La Lanterna di Vittorio is a cozy, casual oasis for those passionate about wine and pizza. Behind the welcoming indoor dining space is a charming roofed patio adorned with string lights and greenery (the space is heated in the fall and winter). The lengthy menu offers salads, pastas and paninis as well as nearly 20 pizzas. Alongside classics such as the four-cheese pizza and the prosciutto-and-mozzarella pizza are a brunch-inspired pizza (with chopped tomato, Canadian bacon, Fontina and soft-cooked eggs) and a bagel-inspired pizza (with smoked salmon, mascarpone, red onions, capers and extra-virgin olive oil). Owner and wine director Vittorio Antonini Sr. puts as much creativity into La Lanterna’s wine program as he does into the menu; the result is an Award of Excellence–winning list of 120 selections supported by a 4,000-bottle inventory. Italy and California are the highlights of the program, with many choices from well-known names such as Girolamo Russo, Jacob’s Creek and Duckhorn.
The Privateer Coal Fire Pizza
1706 S. Coast Hwy, Oceanside, Calif.
Telephone (760) 453-2500
Website theprivateercoalfirepizza.com
Award of Excellence
How do you make time spent by the scenic Pacific coast even more special? Add delicious pizza and a glass of wine. Here, Award of Excellence winner the Privateer Coal Fire Pizza shines in Oceanside, Calif., offering a wide range of pizzas prepared by executive head chef Samantha Parker and the kitchen team. This includes the Raen Pie (white sauce, provolone, fior di latte, prosciutto di Parma), the Chemistry Pie (tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, house-made sausage), the Surf Ride Pie (Grana Padano, pepperoni and bacon), a classic cheese pie and more. That’s not to mention other Italian-influenced salads, pastas and entrées. Wine director Susan Porter-Guarino oversees a list of 148 wines served by the bottle and 40 offered by the glass. The program focuses primarily on California, with Lodi Zinfandel, Paso Robles Cabernet and the restaurant’s own private label. But Italy plays a role too, and guests can look to Negroamaro, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and more. (The list also features flight options and thorough descriptions for wines.)
Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
1570 Stockton St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 835-9888
Website tonyspizzanapoletana.com
Award of Excellence
Chef Tony Gemignani has been in the pizza-making business for several decades. He channels that talent into his San Francisco spot, Tony's Pizza Napoletana, where the menu covers an assortment of styles inspired by regional interpretations. Pizzas are divided into categories such as classic American, classic Italian, New York and coal-fired, with several pies within each section. Wine is another important focus at the restaurant, which has held an Award of Excellence since 2015 for its Italian-heavy, 130-wine program, managed by wine director Jules Gregg. Each label listed is accompanied by a tasting note to help guide guests through the selections.
Edited by Chris Cardoso, Collin Dreizen, Julia Larson, Olivia Nolan and Megan Tkacy
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