Fettuccine

Fettuccine

Assuming fettuccine Alfredo, tossed with butter, parmesan and cream.

Fettuccine Alfredo is little more than pasta, butter, parmesan and often cream, rich and savoury with nothing sharp on the plate. The wine has to bring the acidity the dish lacks, with enough body not to taste thin against the cream. Parmesan makes tannin hard, so this is white or sparkling territory.

Pairs Perfectly. White Burgundy from the Maconnais, France. Chardonnay with a light touch of oak and a soft, nutty, creamy edge that mirrors the sauce, carried on enough acidity to keep it from feeling heavy. It is inexpensive and easy to find.

Pairs Well. Franciacorta Satèn, Lombardy, Italy. A soft, creamy style of Italian sparkling wine, whose bubbles cut the butter and whose depth from long lees ageing meets the parmesan.

Pairs Well. Godello, Valdeorras, Spain. Stone fruit, a faint creaminess and a slate edge, textured enough for a rich sauce.

Worth Seeking Out

Encruzado from the Dão, Portugal. Lemony and structured with a light touch of oak and a nutty finish that suits butter and parmesan.

Avoid

Red wine and very lean, neutral whites. Parmesan makes tannin hard, and a thin white is flattened by the cream.

Failing That

A Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France.

If All Else Fails

Côtes du Rhône blanc.

Want to be able to craft answers like this? The Vinealto Wine Coach takes you from the basics to advanced.