A PAIRING GUIDE
What wine goes with roast chicken?
Roast Chicken: Merlot, Gamay and Chardonnay.
The short answer
For roast chicken, start with Merlot, Gamay and Chardonnay. Why it works: these wines are balanced and moderate, so they sit beside roast chicken without covering its flavour.
The wines to reach for
- Merlot: plush, plum, soft tannin. Merlot is full-bodied, with soft, moderate tannin and moderate acidity, finishing dry. A little oak is common. Home turf: Pomerol & St-Émilion.
- Gamay: juicy, crunchy, low tannin. Gamay is medium-bodied, with light tannin and high, racy acidity, finishing dry. It is usually made with little or no oak. Home turf: Beaujolais Crus.
- Chardonnay: stone fruit, cream, mineral. Chardonnay is full-bodied, with almost no tannin and moderate acidity, finishing dry. A little oak is common. Home turf: Burgundy, Chablis, Carneros.
Where to look
Good places to find these styles include Pauillac, Pomerol, Morgon, Fleurie, Champagne and Meursault.
From menus we hold
- Core fried chicken caviar at CORE by Clare Smyth: Eric Rodez Pinot Noir Macération, Extra-Brut. A good chair, a clear evening, and company worth keeping.
- Fried chicken and caviar at CORE by Clare Smyth: Eric Rodez Pinot Noir Macération, Extra-Brut. The pleasure of a meal that takes its time.
- Baked Barbecued Chicken Bun with Black Truffle at Jade Dragon: Racines, Sainte Rose, Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills (2020). Farm tables, wildflowers, and unhurried hospitality.
- Albufera-style Jaune des Landes chicken, leek 'à la ficelle' at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester: Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Village - Philippe Livera (2018). Limestone walls, ancient cellars, and centuries of patient hands.
The same wines also suit
duck, mushroom, charcuterie, salmon, lobster and brie.
Quick answers
What wine goes with roast chicken?
Merlot, Gamay and Chardonnay. these wines are balanced and moderate, so they sit beside roast chicken without covering its flavour.
Red or white wine with roast chicken?
Both work: Merlot, Gamay and Chardonnay.
Pairing logic from the Sommurai pairing engine and the grape facts of our table. Taste is personal: treat this as a starting point.
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