Choosing the perfect wine for your meal can take it to the next level by bringing out the right flavors in your food without overpowering or masking it. So it becomes very important to select the correct wine for each meal. In this article, let us talk about what kind of wine goes with chicken. You might think the answer to this might be a simple one but it is not.
Before picking out a wine, we have to consider a few things such as the kind of chicken you are preparing, and the number of herbs, spices, and flavors you will be adding to it. Keeping this in mind, let us get into the wines we recommend to drink with different types of chicken dishes.
Tips for Pairing Wine with chicken `
While different wines go with different chicken recipes, white wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc is usually your best bet considering that chicken is white meat and pairs well with it since the saying goes “lighter meat, lighter wine.”
If you are having a roasted chicken, you can pair it with a glass of red wine as well since roasting helps to preserve the flavors in the chicken and so the wine will not overpower it.
While pairing a wine with your chicken dish, you have to keep in mind that you balance the flavors of the chicken with the wine. A heavy dish would be better suited with a lighter win, and a delicately flavored meal can have the added flavors from the wine.
Keeping these tips in mind, let us take a look at some wines and chicken pairings that you can try:
Chicken Masala with Malbec/ Pinot Noir/ Riesling/ Chardonnay
This is a recipe that can go well when paired with both lighter red wines and white wines. Since the dish is rich in flavor and savory and creamy, you can balance it out with lighter wines that are acidic and fruity so that the wine can fully bring out the rich flavors of the dish.
Fried Chicken with Chardonnay/ Grenache
One of my all-time favorite dishes, Fried Chicken tastes even better when paired with a citrusy or apple-flavored Chardonnay or fruity-flavored Genache. These wines are light and subtle and balance the flavors of Fried Chicken while balancing out the rich, fatty chicken with a low-calorie wine.
Chicken Piccata with Sauvignon Blanc/ Chardonnay/ Pinot Blanc
This recipe is rich in flavors of parsley, lemon, and black pepper and will go well with the light white wines with flavors that go well with the flavors of the dish. Sauvignon Blanc, with its fruity flavor, will add freshness to the meal while a glass of Chardonnay, with its light flavors and creamy texture, brings out the delicious taste of the dish.
Chicken Risotto with Gavi
You can get delicious flavored wine to accompany this Italian dish. You can enjoy the wine in different flavors such as pear, almond, and stone fruit.
Chicken Pie with Australian Semillon
This creamy dish can be best complemented by an equally creamy glass of white- the Australian Semillon. It is high in acidity and pairs well with the fat in the pie.
best white wines that you can pair with your chicken
Champagne
Champagne pairs well with fried chicken. It’s a perfect blend of acidity and sweetness and it brings out the rich flavors of the chicken.
Chardonnay
if you are cooking or planning to have a creamy chicken dish, pair it with the equally creamy glass of Chardonnay to have a blast of creaminess and flavor in your mouth.
Sauvignon Blanc
This white wine goes best when tasted with the delicate flavors of lemon, garlic, or herby chicken because it is equally delicate and adds to the fresh taste of the chicken instead of overpowering its taste.
Riesling and Pinot Gris
If you are planning to have a spicy chicken dish, you want to pair it with a sweet wine that complements it perfectly.
Dry, White wines
These wines perfectly complement the chicken dishes with asparagus or artichokes in them since they are acidic and have almost no residual sugar.
Here are some of the best red wines that you can pair with your chicken:
A Gamay or Pinot Noir
If you are having grilled chicken, you will want a wine that blasts its rich smoky flavor in your mouth. You can try a Gamay or Pinot Noir; these are red wines but very light which do not cover the flavor of the chicken but enhance it.
Shiraz
A delicate wine like Shiraz or even Pinot Noir will go very well with chicken
Riesling, Barbera, Lambrusco, Sparkling Rose, and Zinfandel
Do you want to know how you can make your Chicken Tikka Masala taste even better? Pair it with a wine with high acidity and a touch of sweetness and low in alcohol content. You will have a very memorable and fulfilling feast at your hand.
Merlot
You can pair this medium-bodied red wine with the savory and bold dish of Chicken Parmesan and taste the lasting flavors of parmesan and garlic in your mouth. If you have added more tomatoes to your dish, you can even pair it with a red wine with high acidity.
Rosé
A Rosé will go perfectly well with a roasted chicken because it is a strong wine but not too strong that it will take away the flavors of the roasted chicken.
FAQS
1. Which red wine goes with chicken?
Ans. Choosing a red wine to go with your chicken depends on the type of chicken you are planning to cook as well as the number of flavors, herbs, and spices in it. If you are having a chicken that is heavy in flavor, you will have to pick out a wine that is lighter-bodied so that the meal is balanced out perfectly with flavors complementing each other instead of overpowering. Some red wines to try are a Gamay or Pinot Noir with grilled chicken; a Shiraz, Riesling, Barbera, Lambrusco, Sparkling Rose, and Zinfandel with heavy dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala or Merlot with dishes like Chicken Parmesan.
2. What wines go well with grilled chicken?
Ans. Chicken Masala is a dish that you can enjoy with both white and red wines. Pair this dish with a lighter red wine or full-bodied white wine and you will have a meal rich in flavor and very savory and creamy. Some wines that go well with it are Malbec or Pinot Noir or Riesling or Chardonnay. The acidic and fruity flavors of these wines will bring out the flavor of the chicken instead of masking it.
3. What color wine goes with roasted chicken?
Ans. Roasted Chicken can go very well with medium to full-bodied Rose or fuller-bodied red wine. Rose is a stronger wine with higher acidity and will only add to the rich and savory flavors of the roasted chicken especially when it is prepared with herbs and spices.
4. What red wine is best for grilled chicken?
Ans. Rich red wines like Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, or Malbec will go perfectly with grilled chicken and bring out its smoky flavor.
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