Francis Ford Coppola Winery To Open A Pizza And Wine Pairing Hotline
Bringing together two staples of Italian dining, the brand Francis Ford Coppola Winery is launching a text line service that will help diners and oenophiles match its pizza with the perfect type of wine. The "Coppola Pizza WineLine" will launch July 1, 2023, in coordination with the winery's second annual "Perfect Your Pizza" competition, in which contestants can submit their own homemade pizza recipes with a personal wine pairing. Those curious about the text service can send a question to 601-706-WINE (9463) and expect to receive an answer regarding the best booze to complement whatever pizza they're eating.
The text line will last as long as the competition, which ends on August 31, 2023, and will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. (before dinnertime for West Coasters, so plan your pizza accordingly). The Coppola Winery's love affair with pizza isn't anything new; Vice President of Marketing Gabriela Becker explained in a press statement that the Sonoma County winery's restaurant Rustic in Geyserville, California, deep in the heart of wine country, has "served wood-fired pizza and other classic Italian dishes... since it opened its doors in 2010."
Which wines do you pair with pizza?
According to Becker, The Coppola Pizza WineLine is "to help Americans level up their enjoyment of pizza by educating them on how much the choice of what to drink with your pizza can affect the way it tastes." In order to perfect this goal, the Coppola Winery has partnered with Dan Richer, chef of Jersey City's acclaimed pizzeria Razza and author of the New York Times-bestselling cookbook "The Joy of Pizza: Everything You Need to Know." Richer will serve as one of the judges of the Perfect Your Pizza competition, but his pizza and wine pairing skills have created three unique combinations to try out with the Coppola Winery's Diamond Collection line.
The chef says that his Funghi pie, consisting of roasted mushrooms, shaved onions, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and chives, pairs with pinot noir. On the more experimental side, Richer also made a corn pie, which is topped with fermented chili paste, caramelized onions, mozzarella, scamorza cheese, and, of course, sweet summer corn. This particular recipe works best with a glass of chardonnay. Finally, Richer's Montagna, a tomato sauce and mozzarella pie with prosciutto, arugula, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, goes with merlot. If you want to try pairing wine with your own pizza, you can submit your home recipe with an ingredient list and story on the site. If you just want to follow along or view the competition, you can visit the winery's Instagram.