The wines you can serve with chicken dishes are seemingly limitless. In fact I would venture to say that there is not a varietal that can’t be matched with chicken.
Over the years more families opt for chicken over beef or even fish when it comes to everyday dinners, with many of us turning to organic, grain-fed birds or free-range chicken as our main meat several nights a week.
As with most pairings, it’s how you cook the chicken and any dominant flavorings that guide us in creating the ideal pairing. These are a few of my favorite chicken dishes we have experimented with recently and wines to match.
Roasted chicken: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese, malbec, rioja
THE VALUE
- 2010 Alamos Malbec, Argentina (about $13 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Marques de Caceres Rioja, Spain (about $21 retail)
Chicken breast in creamy sauces: pinot noir, Riesling, tempranillo, chardonnay, viognier
THE VALUE
- 2011 Banrock Station Chardonnay, Australia (about $10 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2011 Peter Nicolay Mosel Riesling, Germany (about $18 retail)
Smoked or barbecued chicken: zinfandel, cabernet franc, tempranillo
THE VALUE
- 2010 Silver Peak Vineyards Zinfandel, California (about $13 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Ghost Pines Zinfandel, California (about $20 retail)
Grilled chicken: semillon, chardonnay, pinot noir
THE VALUE
- 2011 Chateau St. Michelle Semillon, Washington (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir, France (about $26 retail)
Cajun chicken gumbo: NV Champagne, sparkling wine, pinot gris, chardonnay, pinot noir
THE VALUE
- 2011 Columbia Crest Two Vines Chardonnay, Washington (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2011 Ponzi Pinot Gris, Oregon (about $20 retail)
Chicken Curry with Vegetables: Spanish cava, sparkling wine, rose, sauvignon blanc
THE VALUE
- 2011 La Vieille Ferme Rhone Rose, France (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2011 Honig Sauvignon Blanc, California (about $17 retail)