Pairings
What loves what.
A working list, not a commandment. Match weight, match acid, or match the sauce — then ask the sommelier if the table is still arguing.
Bird
Roast chicken
The somm's desert-island dish. White or red, as long as there is acid and some savory weight.
- White Burgundy / Chardonnay
Hazelnut and citrus with skin and jus. The classic.
- Pinot Noir
Red fruit and earth for the browned bits.
- Chenin Blanc
Quince and acid if the bird is herb-roasted.
- White Burgundy / Chardonnay
Bird
Duck or squab
Richer than chicken, often with fruit or spice glaze. Pinot is classic; Pinot's cousins work too.
- Red Burgundy / Pinot Noir
The textbook pairing — fruit, acid, silk.
- Barolo or Barbera
Nebbiolo's tar and rose with gamey birds.
- Pinot-friendly Merlot
Plum and velvet when the sauce is darker.
- Red Burgundy / Pinot Noir
Bird
Fried chicken, fries, anything golden
Salt, crunch, fat. Bubbles are not a joke pairing; they are the correct one.
- Champagne or Crémant
Acid and CO2 scour the crust.
- Cava Reserva
Same idea, kinder price.
- Riesling kabinett
If there is hot sauce involved.
- Champagne or Crémant