Cognac

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 Cognac Sauce · Lobster Au Cognac · Shrimp Cognac Bisque +3 more Cognac Sauce · Lobster Au Cognac · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Martell Cordon Blue Cognac · Lobster Vol Au Vent With Orange Cognac Sauce · Chicken Supreme With Apple Raisin Chutney And Cognac Cream Sauce

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 Cognac Sauce · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Martell Cordon Blue Cognac +1 more Cognac Sauce · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Martell Cordon Blue Cognac · Chicken Supreme With Apple Raisin Chutney And Cognac Cream Sauce

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 Lobster Au Cognac · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Lobster Vol Au Vent With Orange Cognac Sauce +1 more Lobster Au Cognac · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Lobster Vol Au Vent With Orange Cognac Sauce · Chicken Supreme With Apple Raisin Chutney And Cognac Cream Sauce

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 Cognac Sauce · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Martell Cordon Blue Cognac

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 Lobster Au Cognac · Caramel-cognac Fondue · Lobster Vol Au Vent With Orange Cognac Sauce

Sparkling · Light · Sweet

Asti's more refined sibling — gently frizzante, only 5-6% alcohol, all peach and orange blossom. The perfect summer dessert wine.

Works with Lobster Vol Au Vent With Orange Cognac Sauce · Carmelized Pears Upside Down Cake With Cognac Whipped Cream · Chicken Supreme With Apple Raisin Chutney And Cognac Cream Sauce

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 Lobster Au Cognac · Shrimp Cognac Bisque · Lobster Vol Au Vent With Orange Cognac Sauce

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 Cognac Sauce · Martell Cordon Blue Cognac · Chicken Supreme With Apple Raisin Chutney And Cognac Cream Sauce

Red · Medium · Dry

California Merlot, when made well — plummy, supple, with a touch of cocoa and earlier drinkability than its Bordeaux cousins. The unfairly maligned dinner-party red.

Works with Beef Medallions With Cognac Sauce · Pan-fried Steak In Cognac-peppercorn Sauce

Red · Full · Dry

The benchmark for full-bodied red — structured, age-worthy, unapologetic. Black currant, graphite, and tobacco lead into firm tannins that demand protein on the plate. Decant young bottles; cellar the serious ones.

Works with Steak Au Poirre Cognac Cream Sauce · Beef Tenderloin Steaks With Mustard-cognac Sauce

Red · Medium · Dry

The benchmark for full-bodied red — structured, age-worthy, unapologetic. Black currant, graphite, and tobacco lead into firm tannins that demand protein on the plate. Decant young bottles; cellar the serious ones.

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.