The dish is named after Alfredo Di Lelio, who served the authentic Fettuccine Alfredo dish at his restaurant in Rome in the early to mid-20th century; the "ritual" of cooking it tableside was an essential part of the dish. The dish spread and eventually made its way to the United States, where it is still popular today. Whether you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner or something special for a special occasion, chicken alfredo is sure to hit the spot!
Being an authentic Italian meal means that there are many amazing wine pairings for chicken alfredo. In this article we’ll be discussing the main aspects of the recipe you should take into consideration when trying to find the best wine to pair with chicken alfredo, as well as our favorite red, white and sparkling wine recommendations.
Make sure to stay with us until the end of the article to find out everything you want to know about wine pairing with chicken Alfredo.
Wine Pairing with Chicken Alfredo: the basics
Whether you’re cooking the Alfredo sauce yourself or going for the store bought one, there are some key ingredients that give this sauce its delightful creaminess. These ingredients include butter, cream and parmesan cheese.
Since this sauce is fatty and acidic, a crisp acidic wine is a must. These types of wines can cut through the fat and cleanse your palate with every sip so you can taste the chicken and pasta in every bite.
As a general rule, keep in mind that Chicken Alfredo goes well with fruity but dry white wines like Orvieto, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay, as well as acidic and light reds like Barbera, Beaujolais, and Pinot Noir.
We would not recommend pairing a tannic red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon with this meal because the flavors of the dish are not strong enough to match up to those of the wine, so the flavor combination would seem off.
Best wine to pair with Chicken Alfredo
Personally I prefer pairing Italian dishes with Italian wines, so after trying many wines, I came to the conclusion that my favorite wine to pair with Chicken Alfredo is Orvieto.
Orvieto is an Italian crisp, dry white wine with citrus, peach, pear, green apple, and almond flavors and a mineral finish. The sublime fruit flavors cut through the richness of the Alfredo sauce, allowing them to welcome the chicken flavors, while the almond and hazelnut notes highlight the nuttiness of the pasta and Parmesan cheese.
Try the San Giovanni della Sala Orvieto Classico Superiore 2021 if you enjoy more pronounced flavors in your wine. The tropical fruit scents and the minerality along with its balanced structure and freshness make a perfect pair for a classic Chicken Alfredo dish.
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White wine with Chicken Alfredo
White wines go well with just about anything, from seafood to Mexican cuisine, but there’s something about the combination of a crisp white wine and creamy pasta dish that makes my mouth water. Let’s take a dive into white wine that pairs with Chicken Alfredo the best.
Chardonnay
A full-bodied and rich Chardonnay pairs well with Chicken Alfredo because the wine's creamy texture and buttery flavors complement the Alfredo sauce. Meanwhile, Chardonnay's crisp apple, pear, and tropical flavors will cut through the creaminess of the sauce and highlight the chicken.
However, finding the right Chardonnay to pair with this meal can be a little tricky. Chardonnay wines can be both oaked or unoaked. And they can be aged in oak casks for varying amounts of time, from 3 months to over a year. So, understandably, you might be a bit confused about which Chardonnay you should choose. So let’s break things down.
An overly oaky Chardonnay may overpower the chicken or make the Alfredo Sauce taste too woody or sweet. Furthermore, some winemakers cut corners when it comes to Chardonnay, frequently using wood chips, which can make the buttery flavors taste off.
So your best bet is to go with a mid-priced Chardonnay from California or France that is well-known for its quality. A Chardonnay with no oak will pair well, but there will be no complementary buttery flavors to take your Chicken Alfredo to the next level.
We can’t help but recommend the 2021 Duckhorn Vineyards Chardonnay. The wine has a sweet baked bread aroma on the nose, with citrus and peach flavors emerging on the silky palate. Fresh acidity binds everything together for a buttery smooth, long finish.
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio in Italian, is a delicate and crisp white wine, usually featuring flavors of peach, white flowers, pear, citrus fruits along with mineral and smokey notes. While this wine won't offer as many complementary flavors as a Chardonnay, it's a perfect palate cleanser. We have already mentioned that the Alfredo sauce can be very fatty and creamy, so the acidity of a Pinot Grigio will wash away the fatty sensation off your tongue.
If you're looking for a guaranteed crowd pleasing wine that pairs with Chicken Alfredo we recommend the 2020 Attems Pinot Grigio. This Pinot Grigio is a refreshing change of pace, with a hint of river rock minerality. Its deep fruit aromas linger on the palate, and it ends with an unexpected but welcome acidity.
Viognier
Viognier is fruity and strong and pairs amazingly well with lighter dishes that have some weight, like Chicken Alfredo. The floral notes of rose petal and honeysuckle in Viognier bring some sweetness but Viognier is a dry tropical fruit bomb with the creamy texture of Chardonnay and a unique oily sensation that coats your tongue with delicious flavors of apricot, orange rind, peach, pear, tropical fruit, tangerine and lime. Plus, since the majority of Viognier is oaked, the creaminess imparted by the oak aging will add those tasty, complementary buttery flavors we mentioned earlier.
We recommend the South African 2020 Queen Bee Viognier which perfectly shows that you can find great Viognier wines beyond the Rhode Valley in France. The wine has a delicious peach-and-cream flavor and it's an excellent wine to introduce to someone who has never had Viognier before.
Red Wine with Chicken Alfredo
While you may be used to red wines complimenting meat dishes or hearty red sauces, there's a couple of reds that make a perfect wine pairing with Chicken Alfredo. Bolder rosé wines will work equally well, but overall you want to avoid overly tannic wines that will overpower the flavors of the dish. Let's have a look at some of our favorite reds.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is known for its fresh strawberry and cherry flavors and while it's light it also has an earthy funk that provides the wine with depth, elegance, and balance. Pinot Noir's fruity and tart character ensures that it can cut through the thick Alfredo Sauce.
Pinot Noir grapes are notorious for being difficult to cultivate, thus it might be a bit difficult to find a good quality bottle that's also budget friendly. Our tasty and budget friendly recommendation is the 2021 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. It has the fruity flavors of cherry, plum and pomegranate along with earthy hints of tea leaf. Structured with balanced acidity and soft tannins.
Barbera
Barbera d'Asti is a low-alcohol, acidic Italian red wine with fruity flavors of cherry, plum, raspberries, and raisin. It's also acidic enough to cut through the creamy Alfredo sauce, while the fruitiness provides a pleasant counterpoint. If you're going for Barbera wines you could also choose a Barbera d'Alba, which will pair nicely with Chicken Alfredo, but it has stronger earthy notes and is slightly less refreshing.
If you're looking for a unique pairing, we recommend the 2021 Roberto Ferraris Barbera d'Asti DOCG. Fruit forward flavors that are backed up by earthy undertones, pleasant acidity and smooth tennis. It's definitely a wine that you should try if you're looking for something different.
Sparkling Wine with Chicken Parmesan
While many people think that sparkling wines are better before a meal or after it, accompanied by dessert, that's not necessarily the case. Sparkling wines have enough structure to be able to compliment a variety of dishes, including Chicken Alfredo.
Prosecco with Chicken Alfredo
Prosecco's green apple and honeysuckle aromas are sweet and fragrant, and pair amazingly with juicy chicken. Furthermore, Prosecco wines tend to have a toasted bread flavor that adds some additional flavors to the meal. And since it's bubbly, it's a perfect palate cleanser, removing the fatty sensation that the creamy Alfredo sauce leaves.
If you decide to go for a sparkling wine, we recommend the 2020 Prapian 'Col de L'Utia' Spumante Brut. Citrus zest, and stone fruit aromas along with tastes of green apple, peach, and a hint of orange rind on the smooth palate. The crisp acidity will and the persistent bubbles will perfectly cut through the creamy sauce.
Conclusion
There's no doubt that there are many tasty options to choose from when trying to find a wine that goes with Chicken Alfredo, whether you're a fan of whites, reds or sparkling wines. We hope that this article has helped you figure out what you should look for when trying to find the best wine to pair with Chicken Alfredo and that we have also given you some recommendations that you're now curious to try.
Personally, I'll be cooking Chicken Alfredo the first chance I get, so I can enjoy my favorite combinations once again.
Cheers!