Cayenne

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 Cayenne Pepper · Chicken Cayenne · Cayenne-spiked Crab Cakes +2 more Cayenne Pepper · Chicken Cayenne · Cayenne-spiked Crab Cakes · Halibut With Cayenne And Salsa · Chicken In A Lime/honey/cilantro/cayenne Marinade

Rosé · Light · Dry

Provence's gift to summer — dry, pale, faintly strawberry-and-citrus, with low alcohol and crisp acid. Made to drink cold, with food, in the shade.

Works with Cayenne Pepper · Chicken Cayenne · Halibut With Cayenne And Salsa +1 more Cayenne Pepper · Chicken Cayenne · Halibut With Cayenne And Salsa · Chicken In A Lime/honey/cilantro/cayenne Marinade

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 Chicken Cayenne · Cayenne-spiked Crab Cakes · Halibut With Cayenne And Salsa +1 more Chicken Cayenne · Cayenne-spiked Crab Cakes · Halibut With Cayenne And Salsa · Chicken In A Lime/honey/cilantro/cayenne Marinade

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.

Works with Cayenne Pepper · Chicken Cayenne · Chicken In A Lime/honey/cilantro/cayenne Marinade

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.

Works with Cayenne Pepper · Halibut With Cayenne And Salsa

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.

Works with Cayenne-spiked Crab Cakes · Crab With Dill On Cayenne Toasts

White · Light · Dry

Sancerre's cousin across the Loire — Sauvignon Blanc with a smokier, flintier profile. The 'fumé' in the name refers to that struck-match minerality.

Works with Crab With Dill On Cayenne Toasts · Crunchy Fried Shrimp With Cayenne Aïoli

White · Medium · Dry

Sauvignon Blanc from the upper Loire, grown on flint and chalk. Citrus, smoke, and a mineral finish that hints at struck stone. The refined antithesis of New Zealand's tropical SBs.

Works with Crunchy Fried Shrimp With Cayenne Aïoli · Fettuccine With Sweet Pepper-cayenne Sauce

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.

White · Medium · Dry

California and Pacific Northwest Gewürztraminer — lychee, rose petal, ginger, made riper and fuller than Alsace. The American spicy-food companion.

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.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

California's méthode-traditionnelle sparkling wines — Chardonnay/Pinot Noir-based, brioche-and-citrus, often grown in cool coastal regions. Champagne quality at friendlier prices.