Sausage & Wine Pairing

Crisp and dry white wines like Riesling, Grüner Veltliner and Chablis work fantastic with grilled sausages loaded with condiments as the acidity of the wines can handle the acidic condiments while still cutting through the meatiness of the Sausage. For red wine, acidic reds, like Pinot Noir, Dolcetto and Beaujolais, work best with grilled Sausage as the higher acidity of these wines will hold up against the acidity of ketchup, mustard, Sauerkraut or pickles.

Sausage is a versatile ingredient and is used in a stir-fry, spread across Pizza, added to stews or tossed into a pasta.  If your meal with Sausage contains a tomato sauce, stick to acidic balanced with tannin such as Chianti, Barbera or Valpolicella Classico.  If your Sausage is used in a meal with a cream sauce or tossed in a dish with seafood, try a crisp acidic white wine like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Best Wine with Sausage

Riesling & Bratwurst Sausage with Sauerkraut Pairing

For Bratwurst Sausage on a bun, or served with Sauerkraut, a dry to off-dry Riesling makes for an excellent choice.  Crisp with notes of apple, apricot, lime, honey, peach and nectarine, Riesling offers a refreshing contrast against the pork and veal flavours of your Bratwurst Sausage.  This contrast is important, as it helps ensure each bite tastes fresh as the acidity of Riesling scrubs the fats and carbohydrates off your taste buds where they can gunk up your sense of taste.  The high acidity of Riesling also elevates the flavours of your Sausage and any toppings or sides it is served with.

Many of the condiments we serve with Sausage are acidic, such as Sauerkraut, ketchup, and mustard which makes Riesling essential, as the high acidity of the wine ensures it won’t taste flat.  If you were to serve a tannic red wine with Sausage smothered in Sauerkraut, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine would taste metallic as it can not hold up to the acidic nature of the condiments.

Off-Dry Riesling means the wine is slightly sweet and is recommended if your Sausage on a Bun has anything spicy like banana peppers or a spicy pepper sauce.  I also enjoy off-dry Riesling with sweeter condiments such as ketchup, sweet onions or pickles as the sweetness complements one another.  Dry Riesling means the wine is much crisper, and it’s perfect with Bratwurst sausage as well.  Which one you prefer is a matter of taste.

Germany is world-renowned for their Rieslings, and it should come as no surprise that  their Spatlese Rieslings are exceptional with Sausage.  I’m a huge fan of Cave Spring Riesling in Canada and enjoy it paired every year at Octoberfest.

Sausage Pizza & Primitivo Pairing

If you’re serve Pizza topped with Sausage, or perhaps pasta tossed with a red sauce and Sausage, always go for an acidic red, such as Primitivo, Chianti, Pinot Noir, or Dolcetto. Wines that are higher in tannin than acidity fight with tomato sauce, making for not-so-tasty pairing as the red wine will taste more like tin than berries.

Pizza is considered Italian cuisine, and as such, any sausage used on top will be Italian Sausage.  Recipes vary for Italian Sausage, but they are typically made from pork, and if they come from the South of Italy, they are seasoned with chilli flakes and fennel.  Italian Sausage from Northern Italy will feature garlic and black pepper.  Pizza in North America often features Italian Sausage from Southern Italy, so it is spicier due to the chilli flakes.

Primitivo is an exceptional choice with Pizza topped with Sausage as Primitivo is acidic enough to handle the tomato sauce on your pizza, as well as the spiciness of the Sausage you might put on.  With Primitivo, expect lush flavours of cherries, blackberries and raspberries.  You’ll also get amazing notes of spice, black pepper, tobacco and leather.  There’s just enough tannin in Primitivo to jive with the meaty Sausage, along with any other meat on your Pizza.  Meanwhile, the medium acidity of this red wine is wonderful with the tomato sauce and any vegetable toppings.

Grüner Veltliner & Bratwurst Sausage Pairing

A classic Bratwurst sausages is cooked in beer and smothered with spicy mustard and Sauerkraut, and Grüner Veltliner with its high acidity makes for a wonderful pairing.  Grüner Veltliner is a dry white wine with crisp lemon, lime, peach, pear, and minerality notes.  However, you’ll also find interesting  notes of lentils and green vegetables along with fascinating aromas of white pepper.  The green vegetable and lentil flavours of Grüner Veltliner complements the fermented cabbage flavours of your Sauerkraut, while the white pepper notes are amazing with the Bratwurst Sausage.

Austria is the world leader in Grüner Veltliner, and the quality of their wines are unbelievable.  Crisp, rich and refreshing, Grüner Veltliner drinks like liquid glass when served chilled.  The wine tastes so clean with its tart citrus bite, however, you also get a savoury peppery characteristic that works amazingly well with both the Sausage and condiments.

Spicy Italian Sausages & Beaujolais Pairing

If you’re craving a red wine with your spicy Italian Sausage, you need a red wine low in alcohol, as when you mix spice, the alcohol will only feed the heat of the spice.  Low in alcohol and tannin, Beaujolais-Villages is the perfect match with a Spicy Italian Sausage from Southern Italy.  The Sausage could be served on its own, served on a bun, or tossed in pasta, and Beaujolais-Villages will go amazing with it all.

Fruity with notes of cherries, raspberries and strawberries, Beaujolais is a playful red wine that offers a refreshing contrast against the savoury Sausage flavours.  You’ll also find complementary flavours of spice and earthiness that jive well with the seasonings of fennel, pepper or garlic found in your Italian Sausage.

Prosecco & Polish Sausage Pairing

Kielbasa means Sausage in Polish and pairs well with prosecco is a sparkling Italian wine with a light pear, toast, apple, peach, apricot, and almond flavour profile. The effervescent nature of Prosecco helps to wash away fat and salt from your taste buds, refreshing your palate between bites. You’ll notice more of the seasonings in your Polish Sausage, as well as any other ingredients if you put it in a sandwich, soup, or casserole because Prosecco’s acidity intensifies any flavours it encounters.

My preference for Prosecco and Kielbasa is to enjoy a glass with the meat thinly sliced and fried in the frying pan with a side dish of eggs fried afterward in the Polish Sausage fat. The clean taste of Prosecco sharpens the fried sausage’s flavours and the mild taste of the fried eggs.  Prosecco is also exceptional with Bangers, which is a sweet and savoury British-style pork sausage commonly served for breakfast and are seasoned with sage, ginger and allspice.

What’s the Difference between Polish Sausage and Italian Sausage

Polish Sausage differs from other sausages in that it is smokier and has different seasonings.  For example, the pork-based Polish Sausage features flavours of garlic, pimentos, cloves and marjoram.  Bratwurst, on the other hand, can contain pork or veal and features seasonings of caraway seed, nutmeg, and ginger.  Finally, Italian Sausage is made from pork and contains chillies, black pepper, garlic and fennel.  Polish Sausage is also vac-packed in a horseshoe shape that is easily recognizable on shelves and is located in the grocery store where you’d buy cold cuts and preserved meats.  Italian Sausage and Bratwurst are often bought fresh and found in the Pork section of the Grocery Store or the frozen section.