What Food Goes with Puglia Wine?

If you already know what you're cooking, we'll help you choose the Puglia wine to go with it. If you've already chosen the wine, we'll help you find food that suits it. And if you're not quite sure where to start, our quick pairing guide will point you in the right direction.

Where Would You Like to Start?

I Know What I'm Cooking

Start with the meal and we'll help you choose between Primitivo, Negroamaro, Susumaniello, Nero di Troia, Puglia white and rosé according to the flavours on the plate.

Choose a Puglia wine for your meal ↓

I Already Have the Wine

If the bottle is already chosen, we'll help you match the food to the style of wine you have.

Choose food for your Puglia wine ↓

I'm Not Sure Where to Start

Keep reading. Our quick pairing table gives you some easy starting points, followed by two simple rules that can help when your dish doesn't fit neatly into one category.

Quick Puglia Food-Pairing Table

Food	Good Starting Point	Alternative
Pizza	Primitivo	Negroamaro
Tomato-based pasta	Negroamaro	Susumaniello
Creamy pasta	Puglia white	Dry rosé
Barbecue food	Primitivo	Susumaniello
Steak	Negroamaro	Nero di Troia
Roast beef	Nero di Troia	Negroamaro
Roast lamb	Negroamaro	Nero di Troia
Roast chicken	Puglia rosé	Puglia white
Seafood	Puglia white	Puglia rosé
Rich vegetarian dishes	Susumaniello	Negroamaro
Cheese	Primitivo	Negroamaro
Antipasti	Puglia rosé	Puglia white

If one of those pairings sounds right for your meal, you can go straight to the relevant wines:

Browse Primitivo wines
Browse Negroamaro wines
Browse Susumaniello wines
View our Nero di Troia wine
Browse Puglia white wines
View our Puglia rosé wine

If your dish doesn't fit neatly into the table, two simple rules will usually help.

Two Simple Rules When the Dish Isn't Obvious

Match the wine to the strongest flavour on the plate, not automatically the main ingredient. Chicken in cream needs a different wine from chicken cooked with tomato and olives.

Then match the weight of the wine to the weight of the meal. Lighter food usually suits white, rosé or fresher reds; richer meat, sauces and mature cheese can support fuller reds.

If you're still unsure which Puglia style best fits your dish, continue below and choose the food you're serving.

I Know What I'm Cooking

Pizza

Primitivo is a natural choice for rich, meaty or slightly spicy pizza. Negroamaro is better when olives, herbs, mushrooms, cured meat or other savoury flavours dominate.

Browse Primitivo wines
Browse Negroamaro wines

Tomato-Based Pasta

Negroamaro is a natural match for tomato, herbs and meat sauces. Susumaniello works well when the dish also includes roasted vegetables, aubergine, mushrooms or moderate spice.

Browse Negroamaro wines
Browse Susumaniello wines

Creamy Pasta

Puglia white is usually the safest route because its freshness cuts through cream and butter without overpowering the dish. Dry rosé works well when the pasta includes chicken, pancetta, salmon or mushrooms.

Browse Puglia white wines
View our Puglia rosé wine

Barbecue Food, Burgers and Sausages

Primitivo suits sweet, smoky, sticky or cheese-topped barbecue food. Susumaniello offers a fresher alternative for heavily charred meat, while Negroamaro works particularly well when herbs, pepper and savoury flavours dominate.

Browse Primitivo wines
Browse Susumaniello wines
Browse Negroamaro wines

Steak

Negroamaro is a strong all-round choice for simply grilled steak. Nero di Troia is a good alternative when you want firmer structure and more freshness alongside the meat.

Browse Negroamaro wines
View our Nero di Troia wine

Roast Beef

Nero di Troia is a strong choice when you want structure and freshness with roast beef, gravy and roasted vegetables. Negroamaro offers a slightly softer, more savoury alternative.

View our Nero di Troia wine
Browse Negroamaro wines

Roast Lamb

Negroamaro is a natural choice for lamb with rosemary, garlic and gravy. Nero di Troia is a good alternative when you want more structure and freshness.

Browse Negroamaro wines
View our Nero di Troia wine

Pork

Primitivo works best with pulled pork, ribs and sweeter sauces. Dry rosé is usually a better match for roast pork, charcuterie and lighter preparations.

Browse Primitivo wines
View our Puglia rosé wine

Roast Chicken

Dry rosé is particularly versatile with roast chicken, stuffing and roasted vegetables. Puglia white works well with lighter or lemon-led preparations, while Negroamaro can suit chicken with tomato, olives or richer gravy.

View our Puglia rosé wine
Browse Puglia white wines
Browse Negroamaro wines

Spicy Food

Strong tannin and high alcohol can make chilli feel hotter. Softer Primitivo can work with moderately spicy meat dishes, while Puglia white or rosé is usually safer as the heat increases.

Browse Primitivo wines
Browse Puglia white wines
View our Puglia rosé wine

Seafood

Puglia white is the natural starting point for shellfish, calamari and simply grilled fish. Dry rosé works better with richer seafood, grilled prawns or tomato-based fish dishes.

Browse Puglia white wines
View our Puglia rosé wine

Rich Vegetarian Dishes

Susumaniello suits roasted vegetables, aubergine and mushrooms. Negroamaro is especially useful with tomato, olives, herbs and lentils.

Browse Susumaniello wines
Browse Negroamaro wines

Cheese

Primitivo works well with mature, salty and firm cheeses. Negroamaro is usually better with savoury hard cheeses and mixed cheeseboards.

Browse Primitivo wines
Browse Negroamaro wines

Antipasti and Sharing Platters

Dry rosé is the most flexible choice when several flavours share the table. Puglia white works especially well when seafood, fresh cheese and vegetables lead.

View our Puglia rosé wine
Browse Puglia white wines

I Already Have the Wine

If the bottle is already chosen, start with its style and build the meal around the flavours and weight of the wine.

Primitivo

Good with barbecue ribs, burgers, sausages, meat pizza, pulled pork, rich tomato pasta, slow-cooked meat and mature cheese.

Negroamaro

Good with roast lamb, roast beef, steak, tomato-based pasta, lasagne, mushrooms, grilled sausages and hard cheese.

Susumaniello

Good with grilled lamb, steak, charred vegetables, aubergine, mushrooms, tomato pasta, barbecue skewers and savoury pizza.

Nero di Troia

Good with roast beef, lamb, steak, slow-cooked meat, mushrooms, hard cheese and other dishes that suit a fresher, more structured red.

Puglia White Wine

Good with grilled fish, shellfish, calamari, seafood pasta, roast chicken, fresh cheese, salads and grilled vegetables. Richer whites can also work well with creamy pasta, baked fish and poultry.

Puglia Rosé

Good with antipasti, charcuterie, roast chicken, grilled prawns, salmon, pizza, Mediterranean salads and roasted vegetables.

Still Not Sure?

If the dish has several competing flavours, choose for the sauce, seasoning and overall weight of the meal rather than trying to match every ingredient separately.

If the meal isn't really the problem and you're still deciding which style of Puglia wine suits you, our Puglia Wine Buying Guide will help you narrow the choice by wine style or producer.