Creamy Seafood

White · Light · Dry

Italy's everyday white — light, lemony, neutral by design. Pleasant with anything; profound with very little. The best Friuli bottles are quietly excellent.

Works with Creamy Seafood · Creamy Seafood Pasta · Creamy Seafood Risotto

White · Light · Dry

Citrus, cut grass, and a wire of acid. Marlborough makes it loudest; Sancerre makes it most refined. Either way, it cuts cleanly through goat cheese, herbs, and anything with shellfish.

Works with Creamy Seafood · Creamy Seafood Pasta · Seafood With Creamy Sauce (like Lobster Newberg/thermidor; Coquilles St. Jacques)

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 Creamy Seafood · Seafood With Creamy Sauce (like Lobster Newberg/thermidor; Coquilles St. Jacques)

Red · Medium · Dry

Tuscany's everyday red, made from Sangiovese — cherry, leather, and a brisk acidity that makes tomato-based dishes sing. The Classico designation marks the historic heartland and a step up in quality.

Works with Creamy Seafood Pasta · Creamy Seafood Risotto

Sparkling · Light · Off-dry

Veneto's everyday sparkler — Glera grape, charmat method, frothier and fruitier than Champagne. Pear, white flowers, easy fun. Made for aperitivo.

Works with Creamy Seafood Pasta · Creamy Seafood Risotto

Red · Medium · Dry

The soul of Tuscany — bright red cherry, dried herbs, and a savory line of acidity that craves tomato sauce. Chianti is the everyday face; Brunello is its serious cousin.

Works with Creamy Seafood Pasta · Creamy Seafood Risotto

White · Light · Dry

Galicia's gift to summer — citrus, peach, salt air, and acid like a knife. Made for shellfish, paella, and any dish that involves the sea.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Méthode champenoise from the most chalk-rich corner of France — fine bubbles, brioche, lemon zest, and a finish that goes on for half a minute. The wine for anything fried, salty, or special.

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.

Liguria, Tuscany, and Sardinia's seaside white — citrus, salt, herb, and a clean mineral finish. The Mediterranean's answer to Sauvignon Blanc.