Broiled Flounder

White · Medium · Dry

The most-planted white grape and the most chameleon-like. Crisp and steely from Chablis; rich, oaky, and tropical from California. Read the label, then match the style to the dish.

Works with Broiled Flounder · Broiled Flounder Fish

White · Full · Dry

California's flagship white — rounder, riper, and oakier than the Old World original, with tropical fruit, butter, and vanilla. Sonoma Coast and Sta. Rita Hills bottlings are leaner; Napa stays plush.

White · Light · Dry

California's take — riper than Sancerre, calmer than Marlborough, with grapefruit, melon, and a clean mineral finish. The everyday white that pairs with almost anything green or briny.

White · Medium · Dry

Grüner Veltliner or Riesling from Austria — green apple, white pepper, laser acid. Among the most food-friendly whites on earth.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Spain's traditional-method sparkling, made in Catalunya. Crisper and chalkier than Prosecco; remarkable value next to Champagne. Pair with jamón, tortilla, and grilled vegetables.

White · Light · Dry

The Loire's seaside white — Melon de Bourgogne grape, bone-dry, slightly briny, perfectly transparent. The platonic ideal of oyster wine.

Burgundy's everyday white — clean, lemony, unoaked Chardonnay built for weeknight drinking. Mâcon-Villages bottlings step up the seriousness.

White · Light · Dry

Umbria's classic white — blended for breezy, lemony drinkability with a touch of pear. The grocery-store version is fine; producer-bottled ones quietly improve any summer evening.

White · Medium · Dry

Alsace's everyday white — Pinot Bianco's French expression, all apple, pear, and a soft mineral finish. The reliable house-wine alternative.

White · Medium · Off-dry

Same grape as Pinot Grigio, different attitude — the Alsatian style is richer, fuller, faintly honeyed, with the structure to handle pork, smoked fish, and Asian aromatics.

Red · Light · Dry

Burgundy's most temperamental grape, but the rewards are real — translucent ruby with a perfumed lift of red cherry, forest floor, and clove. Silken tannins and bright acid make it the most versatile red on the table; serve cool, around 58°F.

White · Light · Off-dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.