Meat Lasagnas

• Meat lasagnas, traditionally layered with hearty tomato sauce and rich cheeses, pair well with full-bodied red wines such as shiraz, chianti and valpolicella. Use your own palette and preferences to guide you among the variety of complementary wines. Diners with a preference for dry wines can choose the shiraz or chianti. Valpolicella retains the full-bodied red character while holding on to a fruity flavor, blending cherry, grape and vanilla flavors. Opt for valpolicella with lasagna made with sweet or spicy Italian sausage.

White Lasagna

• White lasagnas made with shredded chicken, cheese only, or a seafood blend pair best with full-bodied white wines. Choose pinot grigio, chardonnay, or white blends that feature a crisp finish with a dry full-bodied mouth feel. Look for labels that list oaken, citrus blend or vanilla undertones to blend best with white lasagnas.

Vegetarian Lasagna

• Because vegetarian lasagna loses some of its richness with the exclusion of meat or seafood, lighter-bodied wines can pair better with it than other lasagnas. Choose a pinot noir to pair with spinach marinara lasagna or a viognier to match with an Alfredo lasagna layered with zucchini or artichokes. A malbec or syrah with its fruity and light flavor but slightly tannic tongue taste pairs well with a lasagna caprese with fresh tomato sauce, ricotta cheese and fresh basil.

Chicken Lasagna

• Shredded cooked chicken works equally well in cheesy lasagna with white sauce and in a rich lasagna with garlicky red sauce. For that reason, pairing wines to chicken lasagna proves tricky. When making a red-sauce lasagna, use boneless skinless chicken thighs and shred them after slow cooking in an herbal broth. Incorporate the chicken thighs into a roasted tomato sauce. Pair this lasagna with a full-bodied red wine, ignoring the old adage of pairing poultry with white. Only a syrah or merlot can fully complement the complex flavors of the dark-meat chicken. When using chicken breasts, choose a lighter wine. Something like a pinot noir works with red sauce or a pinot grigio complements white sauce with shredded chicken breasts when layered with bechamel sauce and basil.