Catarratto: taste, styles and the dishes that match
5 styles and 17 dish scores from our sommelier database
Catarratto belongs to the grapes every wine lover meets sooner or later. This guide lays out what defines the grape, which styles exist and — based on our sommelier scoring — which dishes it performs best with, Fettuccine alfredo leading the list.
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Catarratto shows pronounced freshness, is full-bodied and clearly fruity, with barely any tannin.
Its lively acidity cuts cleanly through richer sauces, butter or oily fish while keeping the palate refreshed. With its fuller frame, this grape stands up to dishes with savory depth, roasted notes and concentrated reductions. Oak-influenced styles add subtle toast and spice notes that echo pan-seared or roasted elements on the plate. In our database the styles span origins such as Italy, Southern Italy, Marsala, Sicily.
Well-known Catarratto styles
- Mineral white Southern Italy · Italy — light-bodied, pronounced freshness
Distinctly flinty white wines full of character from Southern Italy, generally originating from volcanic soils in Campania, Basilicata and around Mount Etna in Sicily. - White Southern Italy · Southern Italy — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness
Fuller bodied and often robust dry white wines from indigenous grapes from southern Italy. - Marsala · Marsala — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes, off-dry to sweet
A deep-brown, fortified wine with very strong nutty aromas and flavours and substantial residual sweetness. - Marsala Reserva · Marsala — full-bodied, pronounced freshness, soft tannins, subtle oak notes, off-dry to sweet
Deep brown and very 'nutty' scenting fortified wine with sbstantial residual sweetness. - Vintage Marsala · Sicily — full-bodied, pronounced freshness, subtle oak notes, off-dry to sweet
Deep brown and very nutty scenting and tasting fortified red wine with considerable residual sweetness.
Price-wise Catarratto focuses on the accessible and mid-range segments: of the 5 styles in our database, 60% sit in the entry segment and 40% mid-range. You will mainly find easy weekday bottles and approachable food wines for the table in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Catarratto
The dishes below come from our expert scoring: every combination was scored by sommeliers using the Wine DNA of both dish and wine. These are the strongest matches for Catarratto styles, from classic to surprising.
- Fettuccine alfredo — best style: White Southern Italy
- Mushroom risotto — best style: White Southern Italy
- Scallop carpaccio — best style: White Southern Italy
- Spinach lasagna — best style: White Southern Italy
- Croque monsieur — best style: White Southern Italy
- Tortellini — best style: White Southern Italy
- Ravioli — best style: White Southern Italy
- Pasta — best style: Mineral white Southern Italy
- Spanakopita — best style: Mineral white Southern Italy
- Mushroom cream soup — best style: White Southern Italy
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Catarratto taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Catarratto shows pronounced freshness, is full-bodied and clearly fruity, with barely any tannin. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Catarratto?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: Fettuccine alfredo, Mushroom risotto, Scallop carpaccio. The full list is above.
- Is Catarratto a white wine?
- In our database Catarratto is mostly made as a white wine (5 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.
- How should you serve Catarratto at the table?
- Serve Catarratto ideally at 10–12 °C. Fresher, unoaked styles show brightest slightly cooler, whereas richer or oak-aged expressions open up with extra depth a degree warmer.