Lacquered Duck

Red · Medium · Dry

Cabernet's softer sibling — plum, black cherry, and a whisper of chocolate, framed by rounder tannins and earlier drinkability. The wine that built Pomerol and the one to reach for when Cabernet feels like overkill.

Works with Lacquered Duck · Peking (beijing) Lacquered Duck

White · Medium · Dry

Lychee, rose petal, and a touch of ginger; medium-bodied, low-acid, and unmistakable. The wine for any cuisine where the spice cabinet did the heavy lifting.

France's most northeastern wine region — single-varietal whites from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and more. Aromatic, structured, sometimes off-dry, always food-friendly.

White · Medium · 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.

Provence's most serious red — Mourvèdre-dominated, structured, savory, with notes of black olive, leather, and Mediterranean herb. The age-worthy alternative to a southern Rhône.

Roussillon's fortified dessert red — Grenache-based, port-like, with notes of cocoa, walnut, and dried fig. The classic chocolate-dessert pairing.

Bordeaux's affordable shadow just to the east — same grape blends, simpler structure, much lower prices. The everyday red of southwest France.

Loire Chenin Blanc at its sweetest and most age-worthy — noble-rot wines of striking honey-and-citrus intensity, balanced by laser acid.

Loire Cabernet Franc — bigger and more structured than neighboring Chinon, with darker fruit and earthier character. The Cabernet Franc to age.

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.

Loire Cabernet Franc at its most refined — pencil-shavings, raspberry, and a flint-stone finish. The bistro red of choice; equally good chilled in summer.

Jura's grandest Vin Jaune appellation — Savagnin aged 6+ years under flor in old oak. Walnut, curry, salted-almond, immortal.