What wine goes with chicken, duck and turkey?
Pair with a dish
For the bird — a white with body, or a soft red
Red
- Merlot a soft, plush redBordeaux a right-bank claret, soft and plush
- Pinot Noir a light red with a fine perfumeBurgundy a red Burgundy, fine and perfumed · Côte de Nuits a Côte de Nuits red with some depth · Sonoma a Sonoma Pinot, ripe and silky
- Sangiovese a savoury red with bright acidityChianti a Chianti, savoury and bright
- Cabernet Franc a leafy red, lighter than its cousinChinon a Chinon, leafy and lightly chilled
- Barbera a bright red, low on tannin
- Dolcetto a soft red for drinking young
- Nerello Mascalese a pale volcanic redSicily an Etna red, pale and volcanic
- Corvina a light red with a bitter edge
- Gamay a light, juicy red, lightly chilledBeaujolais a Beaujolais, lightly chilled
- Blaufrankisch a peppery, mid-weight red
- Zweigelt a soft, juicy red
- Agiorgitiko a plush, friendly red
- Cinsault a light, fragrant red
- Mencia a cool, mineral red
- Okuzgozu a bright, soft Anatolian red
- Kalecik Karasi a light, fragrant red, lightly chilled
White
a dry white, served cold
- Chardonnay a white with some weight to itChablis a Chablis, lean and stony · Burgundy a white Burgundy with some weight
- Riesling a white with acidity and a touch of sweetnessMosel a Mosel Riesling, light and off-dry · Alsace an Alsace Riesling, dry and steely
- Chenin Blanc a white that can run dry or sweetVouvray a Vouvray, anywhere from dry to sweet
- Viognier a perfumed, full white
- Semillon a waxy white that ages well
- Gewurztraminer a heady, aromatic white
- Gruner Veltliner a peppery, dry white
- Garganega a gentle, dry white
- Marsanne a rich, waxy white
- Roussanne a full white with some perfume
- Silvaner a quiet, earthy white
- Furmint a dry white with real acidity
- Godello a textured, mineral white
- Torrontes a floral, dry white
- Fiano a textured southern white
- Greco a firm, mineral white
- Malvasia an aromatic white, dry or not
- Narince a round, gentle white
Rosé
a dry rosé, cold and easy
- Provence a pale Provence rosé, cold
Sparkling
something with bubbles in it
- Pinot Noir a sparkling with a red grape's weight
- Champagne something with bubbles and bread in it
Dessert
- Sauternes a Sauternes, golden and sweet
- Tokaj a Tokaji Aszú, sweet and bright
Why these wines work with chicken, duck and turkey
Chicken, turkey and duck are among the most accommodating things you can put on a plate, which is why the list for poultry is long and runs from whites to light reds. The meat itself is mild; what decides the wine is the cooking and the sauce.
With roast chicken
A simple roast chicken wants a white with body, a white Burgundy, a Chenin Blanc from Vouvray or a waxy Semillon, because its weight matches the crisp skin and the juices without overpowering the flesh. Cream and butter sauces push you further that way, and a full Viognier, Marsanne or Roussanne holds up beautifully. Go the other direction, with mushrooms, bacon or a red wine sauce, and a soft red makes more sense: Pinot Noir, a Beaujolais served lightly chilled, or a Cabernet Franc from Chinon.
With duck and turkey
Duck is richer and fattier than other birds and can carry more, a red Burgundy or a supple Merlot, while fruit sauces such as orange or cherry favour a red with bright acidity. Turkey at Christmas, surrounded by stuffing, sprouts and cranberry, is a case for Pinot Noir or a juicy, low-tannin Zweigelt.
With spice and the barbecue
Spice-rubbed or barbecued chicken suits an off-dry Riesling or a cold rosé. The thing to avoid is heavy tannin; lean white meat has little fat to soften it, and a big young red will make the bird taste dry. Pork works much the same way, with a little more room for a red.
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