How to Pair Wine with Chicken

By: Daniel Hoey

It’s all about the sauce.

When pairing wine with food, it is much more critical that you think about the sauce than the particular kind of meat. For example, because chicken is a light white meat, many people assume that they should serve a Chardonnay or some other white varietal. Oftentimes, that would be a mistake.

Chicken lends itself to many different types of sauces and spices, which means that many different types of wines pair well depending on the sauce or spice. Generally speaking, chicken pairs better with whites because whites don’t overpower the taste of the chicken – but, again, this is dependent on the sauce.

If you are making Chicken Parmesan with a bold tomato sauce, the sauce won’t match with the delicate flavors of a white. You need a hearty red, like a Merlot. Fruity and jammy reds go great with spicy sauces and barbecue chicken – barbecued chicken on the grill and a big California zinfandel is a great pairing. If you are making a delicate chicken dish, a nice white would pair nicely.

Here are a few suggested pairings:
- Chardonnay, due to its buttery flavor works best with creamy chicken dishes. - Sauvignon Blanc works well with dishes using green spices like rosemary and thyme, or citrus dishes

– New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc works particularly well if there is a citrus quality to the sauce

- Pinot Noir is an interesting match with chicken dishes that are salty

- Riesling and Gewürztraminer work well with spicy chicken dishes as their hint of sweetness balances the spice in the food

Chicken can be paired with any number of wines; which ones harmonize best really depend upon how the chicken is being prepared. Remember, it’s the sauce and spice that matter.