Taste of Texas: Prime Wines for Pizza (A Great Pairing)
Texas Wine Collective – Carl’s Corner
Taste of Texas: Prime Wines for Pizza (A Great Pairing)
Texas Wine Collective hosts a Taste of Texas: Prime Wines for Pizza pairing on Sunday afternoon, September 28th in the TWC Event Center. There will be one session beginning at 1:00 pm. Carl Hudson, TWC Wine Educator, will host this event featuring 3 different types of pizza paired with 6 wines from our TWC partners – Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars.
Discussions with TWC operations manager Amber Saidler and Chef Marshall Lirette of the TWC Fork and Cork Food Truck have led to the menu selections. Thanks to Amber and Marshall for all their help in planning and implementing this Taste of Texas: Prime Wines for Pizza pairing.
Reservations and prepayment are required. Please check the website to make your reservations: www.texaswinecollective.com and join us for a fun and delicious pairing.
While tasting the pizzas and wine, some history of the origins of pizza will be presented along with tasting notes for each of the wines.
Pizza #1: Grilled Peaches, Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze
Brennan Vineyards Picpoul Blanc 2024 TX High Plains
Brennan Vineyards Albarino 2024 TX High Plains
Pizza #2: Basil Pesto and Mozzarella with Cherry Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts
McPherson Cellars Montepulciano 2022 TX High Plains
McPherson Cellars Sangiovese Sagmor Scion Newsom Vyds 2022 TX High Plains
Pizza #3: Pepperoni and Hot Honey with Italian Cheese Blend
Lost Oak Winery Crimson Oak 2022 TX High Plains
Lost Oak Winery Meritage 2022 Texas
Special thanks to Becca Lirette, TWC Events Coordinator, and Robert Herrera, TWC Tasting Room Manager. They will help serving food and pouring wines, and be your contacts for the
20% discount off purchase of any three or more of today’s wines.
Our next Taste of Texas event: Dessert First Sunday, 23-Nov-2025
Ancient Origins of Pizza -
The history of pizza begins in antiquity, as various ancient cultures produced basic flatbreads with many and varied toppings. A precursor of pizza was probably focaccia, a flatbread known to the Romans as panis focacius, to which toppings were often added. Modern pizza with which we are familiar evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, in the late 18th or early 19th century.
On the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, off the west coast of Italy, French and Italian archaeologists have found evidence that leavened bread was baked there over 7,000 years ago. In the 6th century BC, Persian soldiers baked flatbreads on top of their battle shields with cheese, dates, and/or olives as toppings. In Ancient Greece, a flatbread called plakous was flavored with toppings like herbs, onions, cheese, and garlic.
Another early reference to a pizza-like food describes Trojans eating their “tables.” The reference explains this as a meal of round cakes, like pita bread, that were used as a plate or table for toppings of cooked vegetables, herbs, and cheeses, and eaten along with the toppings.
A similar story by the historical writer Virgil described ancient travelers laying out thin wheat bread cakes as platters for their meal of herbs and mushrooms gathered from the nearby woods. After eating everything, including the crusty discs, one traveler apparently exclaimed, “Look! We have even eaten our plates!”
Another pizza-like offering can be traced to pizzarelle, a flatbread related to Italian waffle cookies made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter or vegetable oil, and flavorings of anise, vanilla, and/or lemon zest. They can be hard and crisp or soft and chewy depending on the ingredients and method of preparation. These flatbread cookies, often topped with sweet ricotta cheese or hazelnut spread, were adopted and eaten by Jews while in Roman territory, and became a special treat after returning from synagogue on the Passover holiday.
Key examples of flatbreads from the ancient Mediterranean world include focaccia (which may date as far back as the ancient Etruscans in Italy); piadina in the Emilia-Romagna region of central Italy, lepinja in the Balkans, or manakish in the Levant (an historical term for the Mediterranean lands east of Italy including what is today Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and southern Turkey).
Coca, a thick Spanish flatbread from Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands can be made in both sweet and savory versions. Savory toppings include fish, cheese, and vegetables near the coast or tomato, sausage, cheese, and olives inland. Sweet cocas are made with eggs and sugar in the dough and topped with various fruits, sweetened almond paste, lemon or strawberry cream, pine nuts, and soft cheeses.
Although pizza is not an original Greek food, it has been adapted from Italy in various forms. The classic Greek pita has often been transformed into a pizza crust. Often the crust either contains cornmeal or can even be a flattened cornbread cake topped with classic Greek options like kalamata olives, feta cheese, artichokes, onions, and roasted lamb.
Foods similar to flatbreads in other parts of the world include Chinese bing (a bread with a flattened, disk-like shape); leavened naan or unleavened roti from Central and Southern Asia; several versions of leavened flatbreads from the island of Sardinia; and rieska from Finland. There are many similar topped or stuffed flatbreads known throughout Europe, like the classic French quiche, Alsatian flammkuchen or German zwiebelkuchen (quiche-like flatbreads topped with Crème Fraiche, cheese, bacon, and onion).
Pizza #1: Grilled Peaches, Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze
Brennan Vineyards Picpoul Blanc 2024 TX High Plains
Picpoul Blanc 100%, sourced from Texas High Plains vineyards was mechanically harvested; pressed and fermented approx. 28 days at 57oF in SS tank. It was aged in SS tank and bottled @ 11.6% ABV, 0% RS (dry). Picpoul Blanc is a grape variety best known from sun-kissed vineyards along the Mediterranean shores of southern France. It grows well there AND in other warm, sunny regions like the Texas High Plains. Picpoul is a vibrant, zesty, and mineral-driven variety that captures the essence of the region’s climate and terroir. It is typically crisp and fresh, making it a good aperitif or pleasant beverage for warmer weather picnics and cook-outs. With aromas and flavors of yellow watermelon, ripe citrus (nectarine), soft herbs, and lemon custard, this is drinking well right now and will continue to be enjoyable for a few more years. Pair with simple seafood dishes, grilled fish, chicken, and vegetables, a fresh goat cheese salad, and this fun take on a white pie pizza.
Brennan Vineyards Albarino 2024 TX High Plains
Albarino 100% sourced from Texas High Plains vineyards (probably Reddy Vineyards located east of Brownfield, TX, in Terry County) was mechanically harvested at 23oBrix; pressed and fermented cool at 55oF for about 30 days. The wine was aged in SS tank for about 6 months without malolactic transformation before bottling at @ 13.4% ABV, 0% RS (dry). This light-to-medium bodied wine has a straw yellow hue in the glass and fruit aromas of peach and apricot with some citrus notes. Flavors include peach, lemon, grapefruit, and hints of salinity and minerality. Bright acidity at the finish makes this refreshing to just sip and will pair well with many foods. Match this with prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, cheese fondue, cornmeal crusted fried okra, grilled shrimp or redfish, pan-roasted pork chops, paella, and a lighter-styled pizza.
The word pizza was first documented in 997 AD in Gaeta (a city south of Rome) and successively in various parts of Central and Southern Italy. Pizza was mainly eaten in Italy and by emigrants from there. This certainly changed after World War II when Allied troops stationed in Italy returned home to the U.S. to enjoy pizza along with other Italian foods.
Perhaps the most important innovation that led to flatbread becoming pizza was the use of tomato as a topping. It was not until the Spanish brought the tomato to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century that the modern variation of flatbread we know as pizza was developed. Surprisingly, when the tomato was initially introduced, many Europeans believed them to be poisonous because the plant comes from the same family as nightshade, a well-known poison. However, by the late 18th century, it was common for the poor of the area around Naples to add tomato to their yeast-based flatbread, thus adding flavor and the classic red color to pizza as we know it today.
It was in Naples that pizza really came into being. In the late 18th century Naples grew to a city of nearly 400,000 residents, many of them very poor peasants that had migrated from the countryside. The poorest of this lot became known as lazzaroni, because their ragged appearance resembled the description of the biblical character Lazarus. Street vendors began serving flatbread slices cut to a size to match a casual laborer’s appetite, or more likely his budget. These flatbreads were not fancy, most often simply topped with lard, garlic, salt, basil, and sometimes a simple cheese made from horse’s or sheep’s milk. Eventually tomatoes and small fish (anchovies) became common toppings.
In the late 19th century pizza underwent a big change as the result of a “royal” approval. Legend suggests that three different pizzas were baked and served for the 1889 visit to Naples of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy. The royal couple grew tired of rich French cuisine being served at court, so Queen Margherita asked for something local. The top pizza maker in Naples, Rafaelle Esposito, was tasked with preparing three pizzas: one with lard, sheep’s cheese and garlic; a second with garlic, parsley, and anchovies; and a third with tomato sauce sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and basil. The Queen's favorite was the third, evoking the colors of the Italian flag – green (basil leaves), white (mozzarella cheese), and red (tomatoes).
According to the tale, this combination was named Pizza Margherita in the Queen’s honor. However, other accounts indicate that the Pizza Margherita combination of ingredients already existed, having been created in Naples much earlier in the 19th century. Perhaps the story is just a little too good to be true, but there is an establishment in Naples (known as Pizzeria Brandi today) that features a plaque pronouncing it the birthplace of pizza margherita. Regardless of its origin, Pizza Margherita helped transform pizza from a local street food into a truly national Italian dish, akin to pasta and polenta. Today, Pizza Margherita remains one of the most common and popular versions of pizza in Italy and around the world.
Pizza evolved into a variety of bread and tomato dishes often served with cheese. A wide variety of toppings have since been used, like for the "pizza alla napoletana" topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, anchovies, and mushrooms. As pizza became more popular, restaurants creating these flatbreads became known as pizzerias. It was recorded that in 1807, 54 pizzerias existed in Naples alone and that number increased to 120 by the end of the 19th century.
Pizza #2: Basil Pesto and Mozzarella with Cherry Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts
McPherson Cellars Montepulciano 2022 TX High Plains
Montepulciano 100% sourced from Texas High Plains vineyards was mechanically harvested, crushed, and fermented 9 days in SS tank at 60-85oF with overall 18-day skin contact. After pressing, the wine was aged 14 months in a mix of mostly used oak barrels and bottled @ 13.6% ABV, 0.3% RS (dry). Montepulciano originated along the eastern Adriatic coast of Italy and grows well in the warm, dry, sunny Texas High Plains. Montepulciano is a workhorse variety in Italy, often used as a blender. It fits nicely into McPherson Cellars’ portfolio of Mediterranean grapes. Kim McPherson and Spenser Igo take advantage of the rich flavors, deep color, moderate tannins, and natural acidity to produce this easy-drinking red with aromas and flavors of bright red sour cherries and rhubard with hints of wet asphalt and freshly cracked black pepper. Oak aging brings soft, vanilla cream notes and the finish shows gentle dusty tannins. This pairs with herbed cheese and bacon stuffed mushrooms, caprese skewers (cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves, and balsamic drizzle), grilled chicken or pork, spaghetti Bolognese, and most any pizza.
McPherson Cellars Sangiovese Sagmor Scion Newsom Vyds 2022 TX High Plains
Sangiovese 100% sourced from Newsom Vineyards located just east of Plains, TX, in Yoakum County (last part of the Panhandle before entering New Mexico). Fruit was mechanically harvested and fermented 9-10 days in SS tank at 60-85oF. After pressing, the wine was aged 14 months in French oak barrels (15% new) and bottled @ 13.2% ABV, 0.2% RS (dry). This is another in McPherson Cellars’ Block series of wines harvested from a specific parcel of vines with superior quality fruit. This is very special because old vine fruitwood from Doc McPherson’s original Sagmor Vineyard (planted in the late 1970s) southeast of Lubbock was grafted onto rootstock and planted in Neal Newsom’s vineyard. The old Sangiovese vines in Sagmor had ceased to be productive signaling time to replant new vines. Sangiovese is, of course, the key grape that makes delicious Chianti wines of Tuscany. Italy. This grape grows well in warm, arid climates on sandy, rocky soils with a limestone base making it a good option for the Texas High Plains. This variety conjures thoughts of the old country with aromas of red cherry, dried cranberry, earthy black olives, and dusty-chalky tannins at the finish. There are aromas and flavors of red cherry, black olives, dark chocolate-covered cherries with strong notes of fresh-baked almond cake, vanilla, cream, and baking spices developed from barrel aging. Pair with smoked poultry, cream of porcini mushroom soup, spaghetti Bolognese, BBQ brisket, and Chel Marshall’s variation on a classic margherita pizza.
Marinara sauce so popular on pizza is a traditional offering from Naples made from tomato, oregano, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. This sauce is so-named because it was traditionally prepared by the wives of fishermen for their husbands’ as the first meal upon returning from fishing trips in the Bay of Naples. The wives of these fishermen were known as “la marinara."
The "True Neapolitan Pizza Association", founded in 1984, set very specific rules for an authentic Neapolitan pizza - the pizza must be baked in a wood-fired, domed oven; the base or crust must be hand-kneaded and not rolled with a pin or prepared by any mechanical means; and the pizza must be more than one-third of a centimeter (0.13 inches) thick at the center and not exceed 35 centimeters (13.8 in) in diameter (is this the reason so many large pizzas today measure 14 inches?).
There are many famous pizzerias in Naples where these traditional pizzas can be found, mostly in the historical center of Naples. Many pizzerias follow even stricter standards than the specified rules. For example, only San Marzano tomatoes grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius are used and drizzling olive oil and adding tomato topping can only be done in a clockwise direction.
Many historians believe the world’s first pizzeria was the Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, established as a pizza stand in 1738 and then as a Naples restaurant in 1830. It remains in business today and its ovens are still lined with the original lava rock from nearby Mount Vesuvius.
But pizza would remain little known in Italy beyond Naples and Campania’s borders until the 1940s. When Allied soldiers invaded Italy in 1943-44, they were so taken with the pizza they encountered in Campania that they asked for it wherever else they went. Following World War II, U.S. veterans, especially those returning from the Italian Campaign, created a large and enthusiastic U.S. market for pizza. Even our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, became a fan of pizza while serving as Allied commander in Europe during the war.
Until the 1940s, pizza consumption outside Italy was limited mostly to Italian immigrants and their descendants. Shortly after the U.S. entered World War II, pizza became more popular in restaurants. Deep-dish pizza was introduced in 1943 with the opening of Pizzeria Uno in Chicago by a Texan named Ike Sewell. This heartier version offered much thicker crusts and more abundant toppings.
Around the same time, the Rocky Mountain Pie was developed in Colorado with a wide, rolled-over crust edge. This extra crust was meant to be eaten with honey as a dessert (sort of like sopapillas?). Today all sorts of ingredients, especially extra cheese, get stuffed and rolled into wide crust edges.
Pizza #3: Pepperoni and Hot Honey with Italian Cheese Blend
Lost Oak Winery Crimson Oak 2022 TX High Plains
Sangiovese 48% sourced from Reddy Vyds, Brownfield; Ruby Cabernet 48% sourced from Krick Hill Vyds, Levelland; and Petite Sirah 4% sourced from Lost Oak Estate Vyd, Burleson. Both Sangiovese and Ruby Cabernet grow well at higher altitudes with lots of sun and in limestone rich soils – great varieties for the Texas High Plains. Machine harvested fruit was destemmed and crushed; cuvées were fermented separately an avg. 10 days in SS tank at 60-85oF; wine pressed from the skins and aged an avg. 20 months in mostly used oak barrels; blended and bottled @13.9% ABV, 0% RS (dry). Sangiovese, the primary grape used to make the famous Chianti wines of Tuscany, Italy, offers lots of red cherry fruit and softer tannins. Ruby Cabernet is a hybrid grape that provides mellow flavors and characteristics similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but grows better in warmer climates. Petite Sirah is a wonderful blending grape that provides darker color, more black fruit aromas and flavors, and just a bit more tannic structure to the finish. This wine has aromas of red currant and cherry with hints of dark chocolate mocha. Flavors of black plum, black berries, with undertones of suede leather and soft green herbs lead into a vibrant finish with medium tannins. Pairs well with buttery gouda cheese and sweet peaches, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled meats with rosemary garlic potatoes, a simple juicy cheeseburger, and a dark chocolate tart with berry compote for dessert. It pairs really well with pizza, too.
Lost Oak Winery Meritage 2022 Texas
This wine is a blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon from Triple Diamond Vineyards, Tokio TX. 33% Merlot from Diamante Doble Vineyards, Tokio, TX. 17% Petit Verdot from Sprayberry Vineyards, Midland TX, and 17% Cabernet Franc from Burning Daylight Vineyards, Rendon TX. The grapes were machine harvested; fermented in SS tank; underwent malolactic transformation; aged about 19 months in used oak barrels; bottled @ 12.6% ABV, 0% RS (dry).
The word Meritage is a combination of the words merit and heritage and is pronounced like heritage, not Frenchyfied as “merry-tajh.” It is a registered trademark of The Meritage Alliance whose goal is to foster exceptional wines blended in the Bordeaux tradition. Swirling this Meritage reveals bright ruby hues. It is filled with aromas of cherry, caliche, and black currant with flavors of currant, white peppercorn, and tea leaves that balance notes of dark cherry, wet slate, and tobacco. The lingering dry finish reveals medium-full tannins and hints of mocha and tobacco. Pairings would include French Comte cheese, mushroom and caramelized onion focaccia, pot roast and potatoes, braised lamb or beef in red wine, dark chocolate with coarse sea salt, and, you guessed it, PIZZA.
An ocean away from Naples, thousands of Italian immigrants landed on the U.S. eastern shores. Pizza found a second home in the United States as Italian immigrants began replicating their trusty, crusty pizzas in New York and other American cities, including Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis. According to one report, the first printed reference to pizza served in the U.S. was a 1904 article in The Boston Journal. The Bruno brothers from Naples introduced pizza to Boston, and later one of their sons opened the first pizzeria in Chicago. The famous Lombardi’s grocery in New York began to offer pizza in 1905 as a lunchtime meal for workers in nearby factories. That location closed in 1984, but the family opened a new location 10 years later where you can still enjoy a delicious Lombardi’s pie today.
The longest continuously running pizzeria is thought to be Papa’s Tomato Pies in Trenton, NJ, which opened in 1912 (113 yrs). With a large Italian immigrant population, New Jersey jumped into the pizza game and many popular pizzerias were founded there, especially in areas near NYC. The Ezzo family in Canastota, NY, started making pepperoni sausage in 1906 but the first reported use of sliced pepperoni as a topping for pizza didn’t appear until the 1950s noted on the menu from a pizza place in New Haven, Connecticut.
Pizza crusts come in many variations and most folks have a specific preference. In Naples, Italy, pizza crusts are typically soft and pliable. In Rome, a thin and crispy crust is preferred. Of course, we know about the Chicago deep-dish pizza with very thick crust. And there are so many more variations.
Following WW II, it was primarily tourism – facilitated by the declining cost of travel in the postwar period – that really consolidated pizza’s position as a truly Italian dish. As tourists became increasingly curious about Italian food, restaurants throughout the peninsula started offering more regional specialties – including local variations on pizza.
After 1950, pizza was transformed even further by rapid economic and technological advancement in the U.S. First, there was the “domestication” of pizza as the availability of in-home refrigerators and freezers grew. Convenience foods became enormously popular, including frozen or refrigerated pizzas that could be baked in the family kitchen. Second was the “commercialization” of pizza that came with the ready availability of motorized transport - cars and motorcycles. It was now possible to deliver freshly baked pizza and other prepared foods directly to a customer’s door.
Pizza consumption exploded in the U.S in the late 1950’s with the introduction of pizza chains such as Pizza Hut in 1958, Little Caesar’s in 1959, and Domino’s in 1960. Tom and James Monaghan founded ‘Dominik’s’ in Michigan and, after winning a reputation for speedy delivery, took their company – which they renamed ‘Domino’s’ – nationwide. They and their competitors expanded abroad, so now there is scarcely a city in the world where some U.S.-origin pizza chain cannot be found.
Pizza is very popular in Canada. In 1962, the "Hawaiian" pizza topped with pineapple and ham was reportedly invented by restaurateur Sam Panopoulos in Chatham, Ontario. Another invention from Canada appears to be Pizza-ghetti, a combination meal commonly found in fast food or family restaurants in which a half pizza is accompanied by a portion of spaghetti with a tomato-based sauce. Although both pizza and spaghetti are considered staples of Italian cuisine, combining them in one dish is unknown in Italy.
The most distinct "Canadian" pizza is usually prepared with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, and bacon, with mushrooms and bacon as the two standout ingredients. With pizza gaining such popularity across Canada, it came as no surprise that major American pizza chains such as Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesar’s expanded their locations into our northern neighbor’s territory.
No matter where you go in the world, it seems you will find some delectable form of pizza to satisfy your taste buds. In the Alsace region of France and southern Germany, flammkuchen is a crispy thin-crust creation, an onion-bacon pie that features crème Fraiche rather than tomato sauce as its base. In Lebanon, you can find a flatbread topped with ground lamb mixed with minced onions, diced tomatoes, and a variety of condiments, even pomegranate molasses. A similar flatbread, topped with lettuce, parsley, and lemon is called lahmacun in Turkey. In Japan a popular and versatile grilled flatbread is topped with cabbage, pork or seafood, and a variety of condiments.
With ever growing popularity, a wide range of flatbread creations emerged – here are just a few:
traditional white pies BBQ or roasted chicken sausage or bratwurst
mushroom and bacon steak and blue cheese shrimp Alfredo or scampi
mac and cheese bacon-lettuce-tomato chilly cheese dog
Philly cheesesteak arugula-mushroom-fried egg artichoke and spinach dip
cheeseburger and fries cranberry, brie and turkey roasted eggplant
spicy Buffalo Chicken pear, prosciutto, gorgonzola loaded baked potato
hummus and chicken schwarma Mexican-style taco pizzas (often with avocado)
Hawaiian pie with pineapple and Canadian bacon (much to the bewilderment of the Italians).
Sweet topping versions have emerged in many pizzerias, including ricotta or cream cheese, dates or figs, peach, basil and brie, a myriad of fruit toppings, Nutella spread, raspberry mascarpone cheese, frosted cinnamon roll pizza, donut sugar glazed, and even chocolate.
Do you have any other favorite options?
It is currently estimated that 13% of the U.S. population consumes pizza on any given day (that translates to an annual consumption of three billion pizzas and an average of 46 slices per person). If all pizzas sold in the U.S. everyday were placed edge-to-edge, it would cover 100 acres.
Pizza restaurants all over the country see a rush of customers on Super Bowl Sunday, one of the busiest days of the year for pizza. In 2023, it was estimated that 12.5 million pizzas were sold in the U.S., mostly just before the game began and during halftime. One can be relatively certain a similar amount of pizza was ordered and consumed during Super Bowl LVIII (58) and Super Bowl LIX (59) this past February.
In 2012, the world's largest pizza was made in Rome. It measured 1,262 sq meters (13,550 sq ft) in area – with a radius of about 65.8 ft or diameter of 131.5 ft - WOW!!
Nearly 3x the size of a standard basketball court - 50’ x 94’ or 4,700 sq ft.
In February, 2023, Pizza Hut sent a team to the Los Angeles Convention Center, whose space was big enough to hold a 13,990-sq ft pizza, with the aim of breaking the Guinness World Record. Workers put down layers of dough first, painted on tomato sauce, and then added toppings. The pizza was baked in pieces and reassembled. It had 13,563 pounds of dough, 4,948 lbs of tomato sauce, 8,800 lbs of cheese, and over 630,000 slices of pepperoni. When done and certified by Guinness, it was divided into 68,000 portions that were donated to local food banks.
In closing, I encourage you all to please support Texas grape growers and winemakers by seeking out your favorite Whites, Reds, and Rosés and enjoy a Taste of Texas with your favorite pizzas – thin crust, medium crust, or thick pan crust loaded with whatever toppings of meat, sauce, cheese, and veggies you prefer. It’s hard to think of many better combinations of food and beverage than Pizza and Wine.
Drink and Eat Well My Friends.
Learn more from these references:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza
https://bacinos.com/history-of-pizza Where, When, and Who Invented Pizza
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/historians-cookbook/history-pizza, by Alexander Lee, a fellow in the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance, University of Warwick
Historian's Cookbook - A History of Pizza, Alexander Lee, 07-July-2018, Published in History Today, Volume 68, Issue 7, July-2018
https://www.rd.com/article/who-invented-pizza/, Who Invented Pizza? The Delicious History of Pizza Pies By Cassandra Brooklyn, Updated Jul. 20, 2024
7 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Pizza, Posted by Superberries Team on 10-Oct-2020 to Aronia Berry Recipes
Who Invented Pizza? Did you know pizza took the United States by storm before it became popular in its native Italy?, by Gayle Turim, Updated: 05-May-2023, Original: 27-Jul-2012