Start with a crisp white for seafood pasta with lemon, a dry rosé if the sauce is mainly tomato, and a slightly off-dry Riesling if chilli is the first thing you notice. At Milano in Newstead, that gives you a different answer for seafood marinara spaghetti than for creamy vongole and ’nduja.
Seafood marinara with lemon
Milano’s Seafood Marinara Spaghetti brings together prawns, mussels, pipis and squid, with lemon on the side. If you’re having it without Napoli sauce, a dry Pinot Grigio is a good place to start. Its light body leaves room for the shellfish. A dry Riesling gives you a more citrus-led option, especially if you like a squeeze of lemon over the pasta.
Seafood marinara with Napoli sauce
With Napoli, tomato becomes a bigger part of each forkful. A dry rosé with bright acidity has enough fruit for the tomato while staying light enough for the seafood. Prefer a red? Try a lighter Pinot Noir with gentle tannins when the tomato leads the dish. For a lemonier bowl where the shellfish stands out, start with the white.
Vongole and ’nduja spaghetti
Vongole are clams. ’Nduja is a soft, spicy Calabrian salami. Milano serves them together in a creamy sauce with cherry tomatoes. Here you’re matching the heat and richness as well as the clams. Try a slightly off-dry Riesling if the chilli stands out. The small amount of sweetness can soften the way the heat comes across. If the dish tastes more creamy than hot, a fresh Chardonnay with light oak is another option.
For more on the different styles, see Wine Australia’s guide to matching wine with seafood.
What to ask for when you order
Tell the person taking your order whether you’re having the marinara with Napoli and how dry you like your wine. “I’m having the marinara with Napoli. Have you got a dry rosé by the glass?” gives them something concrete to work with. If two of you are sharing the marinara and the chilli clams, ask whether there’s a fresh, dry rosé that suits both, or choose a glass each around the dish you’ll eat most.
See the Milano dinner menu for current dishes and check the drinks menu or ask the team what’s pouring on the day. For meat, tomato and other dishes beyond seafood, read our guide to pairing wine with Italian food.