Chicken Alfredo pairs best with fruity but dry white wines such as Orvieto, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, or acidic and light red wines such as Barbera, Beaujolais and Pinot Noir. Alfredo Sauce is a rich and creamy pasta sauce that you can buy in a jar or make at home using cream, butter and Parmesan cheese. Chicken Alfredo is usually Chicken and Fettuccini tossed in Alfredo Sauce, making for a creamy protein, fat, and carbohydrate dish. As Alfredo sauce is fatty, acidic wines are a must, as the acidity in the wine cuts through the fat so you can taste the chicken and pasta in every bite.
+ Click on the plus sign in the table below to expand upon why these individual pairings work! +
Chardonnay's buttery notes complement the creamy Chicken Alfredo sauce beautifully. Its medium to full body matches the richness of the dish. The wine's subtle oak flavours enhance the chicken's savouriness. Its balanced acidity helps cut through the sauce's heaviness.
White Wine
Puligny-Montrachet, White Burgundy
Chicken Alfredo
Puligny-Montrachet's complex flavour profile waltzes with Chicken Alfredo beautifully. Its rich texture mirrors the creaminess of the sauce. The wine's subtle oak notes enhance the dish's savouriness. Its balanced acidity cuts through the richness, creating a harmonious pairing.
White Wine
Mâcon, White
Chicken Alfredo
Mâcon white's medium body complements Chicken Alfredo beautifully. Its subtle oak notes enhance the dish's complexity. The wine's balanced acidity cuts through the rich sauce effectively. Its apple and citrus flavours provide a refreshing contrast to the creamy pasta.
Orvieto's crisp acidity balances the richness of Chicken Alfredo nicely. Its light body and subtle fruit flavours dance beautifully with the dish without overpowering it. The wine's mineral notes add complexity to the pairing. Its clean finish refreshes the palate between bites of the creamy pasta.
White Wine
Chardonnay, Unoaked
Chicken Alfredo
Unoaked Chardonnay's crisp acidity balances the richness of Chicken Alfredo. Its clean, fruit-forward profile provides a refreshing contrast to the creamy sauce. The wine's lighter body prevents the pairing from becoming too heavy.
Viognier's aromatic profile adds complexity to Chicken Alfredo. Its floral and stone fruit notes provide a pleasant contrast to the creamy sauce. The wine's full body stands up well to the rich dish. Its subtle spice notes can enhance the chicken's flavour.
Riesling's high acidity can balance the richness of Chicken Alfredo. Its fruity notes provide a refreshing contrast to the creamy sauce. The wine's slight sweetness can complement the dish's saltiness.
Prosecco's effervescence cuts through the richness of Chicken Alfredo beautifully. Its crisp acidity balances the creamy sauce effectively. The wine's light fruit flavours provide a refreshing contrast to the heavy dish. You'll also find hints of nuts in Prosecco, which complement the nutty nature of fresh pasta.
Soave Classico's light body and crisp character marry with Chicken Alfredo quite well. Its subtle fruit flavours provide a gentle contrast to the creamy sauce. The wine's almond notes can enhance the dish's complexity. Its balanced acidity helps cut through the richness of the pasta.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling Wine
Chicken Alfredo
The sparkling wine's bubbles cut through the richness of Chicken Alfredo effectively. Its crisp acidity balances the creamy sauce beautifully. The wine's light fruit flavours provide a refreshing contrast to the heavy dish. Its effervescence helps cleanse the palate between bites.
Rosé's crisp acidity balances the richness of Chicken Alfredo nicely. Its light red fruit flavours provide a pleasant contrast to the creamy sauce. The wine's refreshing nature helps prevent palate fatigue. Its versatility makes it a good compromise between white and red wine for this dish.
Pinot Gris is a lovely pairing with chicken Alfredo. Its fruity, lightly floral profile adds brightness to the creamy, rich sauce, while its moderate acidity cuts through the dish's heaviness. This combination lifts the Alfredo's texture and complements the tender chicken without overpowering it. Opt for a fuller-bodied Pinot Gris, which can match the dish’s richness, adding refreshing pear, apple, and a touch of citrus to each bite.
Sauvignon Blanc's high acidity can balance the richness of Chicken Alfredo. Its herbaceous notes can complement any herbs in the dish. The wine's citrus flavours provide a refreshing contrast to the creamy sauce.
White Wine
Pinot Bianco
Chicken Alfredo
Pinot Bianco's crisp acidity balances the richness of Chicken Alfredo nicely. Its subtle pear and apple flavours add complexity to the pairing. The wine's mineral notes provide a refreshing contrast to the creamy sauce. Its medium body stands up well to the dish without overpowering it.
Roussanne is a great match for chicken Alfredo, as its rich, textured body and stone fruit notes pair well with the creamy sauce. The wine’s subtle acidity and hints of herbs and honey meld with the Alfredo's buttery texture, enhancing the dish's savoury flavours. This pairing brings a blend of elegance and depth, balancing the richness of the sauce and providing an aromatic counterpoint to the tender chicken. Look for a lightly oaked Roussanne for added warmth and complexity.
Pinot Noir's light body and bright acidity can cut through the richness of Chicken Alfredo, though it's not a traditional pairing. The wine's red fruit flavours offer an interesting contrast to the creamy sauce. Its earthy undertones can enhance the chicken's flavour. However, I, myself am not too fond of the cherry/strawberry alfredo sauce merging of flavours.
I'd suggest this pairing for stubborn guests who insist on only drinking red wine.
Barbera's high acidity can cut through the richness of Chicken Alfredo effectively. Its red fruit flavours provide an interesting contrast to the creamy sauce. The wine's low tannins prevent it from overpowering the dish. However, I don't love the flavour combination of red fruit and alfredo sauce, as I feel white wines are much more suitable.
Pinot Grigio's light body and crisp acidity can provide a refreshing contrast to Chicken Alfredo. Its subtle fruit flavours add a layer of complexity to the dish. The wine's mineral notes can enhance the overall pairing. However, it may lack the intensity to fully stand up to the rich sauce.
Sweet Wine
Coteaux de l’Aubance
Chicken Alfredo
Coteaux de l’Aubance, a sweet white wine from the Loire Valley, pairs beautifully with chicken Alfredo. Its honeyed, stone fruit notes contrast the creamy richness of the Alfredo sauce, while the wine's high acidity refreshes the palate between bites. This pairing enhances the dish's savoury character and balances out the weight of the cream, creating a harmonious blend that lets each element shine without overwhelming the other. The Coteaux’s light sweetness also accentuates subtle flavours in the sauce, adding a refined depth to the meal.
I would only recommend this pairing if you enjoy this sweet style of wine on a solo adventure - most folks tend to stray away from sweet wines, making this a not so great pairing for guests.
Beaujolais' light body and low tannins make it a possible match for Chicken Alfredo. Its bright red fruit flavours offer an interesting contrast to the creamy sauce (it's not a contrast I love though). The wine's high acidity can help cut through the dish's richness.
Type
Varietal
Food
Chardonnay and Chicken Alfredo Pairing
A full-bodied and rich Chardonnay is decadent with Chicken Alfredo as the creamy texture and buttery flavours of the wine complement the Alfredo sauce. Meanwhile, the crisp apple, pear and tropical flavours in Chardonnay will cut through the sauce and highlight the chicken.
I am only giving this pairing 4 out of 5 stars as not every Chardonnay is made equal. A Chardonnay that is too oaky might overwhelm the chicken or make the Alfredo Sauce taste too woody or sweet. Furthermore, there are wine producers who cheap out when it comes to Chardonnay and often use wood chips, which can make the buttery flavours taste like rancid popcorn. Thus, for this pairing to work, seek out a mid-range Chardonnay from California or France known for their quality, such as white Burgundy like Mâcon, Puligny Montrachet, or a Mendocino Chardonnay from California.
Meanwhile, a Chardonnay lacking in oak will pair up just fine, but you won’t have any complementary buttery flavours. This isn’t such a crime as hints of apple, mineral and tropical fruit will make the Alfredo Sauce sing while bringing out the best in the chicken and pasta.
Orvieto and Alfredo Sauce Pairing
Some folks consider it a punishable crime not to have Italian wine with pasta. It’s as if they fear some elderly lady will rush out of the kitchen and rap their knuckles with a wooden spoon, for drinking anything that isn’t remotely Italian. If this fear keeps you up at night, Orvieto paired with Chicken Alfredo is the match made for you. Orvieto is a crisp, dry white wine from Italy featuring citrus, peach, pear, green apple, and almond flavours, along with a mineral finish. The sublime fruit flavours cut through the richness of the Alfredo sauce where they can then embrace the chicken, while the almond and hazelnut notes bring out the nuttiness found in the pasta and Parmesan Cheese.
Orvieto can be a tricky wine to buy as is a blended white wine, which is why I give it four out of five stars. Different wineries will use different ratios of grapes, which will change the profile. If you are striving for more pronounced flavours, seek out an Orvieto Superiore, which will be a bit richer in flavour and slightly higher in alcohol.
Orvieto producers I recommend include Antinori, Bigi, La Carraia, and Ruffino. You’ll also want to ensure you buy the dry style of Orvieto as sometimes this wine is made sweet.
Italian Pinot Grigio & Chicken Alfredo Pairing
Pinot Grigio is a subtle and crisp white wine with flavours of peach, white flowers, mineral, smoke, pear, citrus and lemon. While there are better white wines to pair up with Chicken Alfredo, Pinot Grigio is a crowd pleaser. If you are holding a dinner party, Pinot Grigio will always go over well with Chicken Alfredo. On the other hand, even if you are dining out, Pinot Grigio is certain to be on the wine list by the glass.
While Pinot Grigio won’t complement any of the flavours in Chicken Alfredo, this crisp white wine will keep your mouth refreshed in between bites. The issue with Alfredo Sauce is that it is rich and fatty. Thus, on top of clogging your arteries, it also clogs up your taste buds, muting flavours over time so that everything after three or four bites begins to taste bland. Pinot Grigio solves this problem, as the acidity of the wine whisks in and scrubs the fat off your tongue. Hence, you end up eating less, as you are satisfied much earlier.
Pinot Grigio from other countries, such as a Pinot Gris from France or California, will also go well with Chicken Alfredo, but expect a bolder wine. Pinot Bianco from Italy is also highly recommended as it has a creamy and nutty body along with the crisp fruit flavours of Pinot Grigio, however, Pinot Bianco is much harder to find in restaurants or on shelves in North America.
Pinot Noir and Chicken Alfredo with Mushrooms Pairing
If your Chicken Alfredo contains mushrooms, Pinot Noir is a fabulous red wine to reach for. Light and fruity, Pinot Noir is loved for its fresh strawberry and cherry flavours. Yet, there is also an earthy funk to Pinot Noir that gives it depth, elegance and balance. The fruity and acidic body of Pinot Noir ensures that this red wine can cut through the rich Alfredo Sauce. Meanwhile, the forest floor flavours will complement the mushroom notes in the dish.
Good Pinot Noir is often accompanied by a high price tag as Pinot Noir is not a wine that can be made cheap. A lot of care and attention go into making Pinot Noir that produces amazing results, but it ends up costing the winemaker a lot of money. Thus, if budget is an issue, don’t skimp for the cheapest Pinot Noir (or anything under $25), or else you won’t be amazed by this pairing. Instead, go for one of the other red wines on our list, such as a Beaujolais or Barbera, which will be much more affordable.
Barbera d’Asti & Chicken Alfredo Pairing
Barbera d’Asti is is an Italian red wine that is low in alcohol, acidic, and rich with fruity flavours of cherry, plum, raspberries and raisin. The acidity of Barbera cuts through the creamy Alfredo sauce, while the fruitiness offers a refreshing contrast.
Barbera d’Asti is also rustic in that it has herbal and earthy notes of black pepper, spice, mushrooms and smoke. Not everyone appreciates these rustic flavours, and North American drinkers tend to be turned off by them. Thus, if you were holding a party and serving Chicken Alfredo, you might want to spring for a fruitier Beaujolais from France if you feel like your guests might not be into an earthier wine. That’s not to say Barbera d’Asti taste likes dirt, I just wouldn’t write it off as a popular or trendy red wine in North America as we tend to like things that taste fruity and fresh.
If you want to stick to Italian reds, my suggestion would be to prepare your Chicken Alfredo with mushrooms (you can always add them as a side dish if you want to keep your Chicken Alfredo as plain as possible). Your guests probably won’t notice the rustic notes as the wine and mushrooms will complement one another while the fruity flavours of Barbera d’Asti will keep your mouth refreshed.
Barbera d’Alba is another popular style of Barbera in Italy. Barbera d’Alba differs from Barbera d’Asti in that it is richer and less acidic. Barbera d’Alba will get along fine with Chicken Alfredo, however, it won’t be as refreshing, and the rustic flavours will shine deeper.
