Marinated Fish

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 Marinated Fish · Fried Fish Marinated In Garlic

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.

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 · 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.

White · Medium · Dry

Northern Rhône Viognier at its grandest — apricot, honeysuckle, ginger, with a richness that surprises everyone. The wine to drink alongside soft cheese and a sunset.

White · Medium · Dry

A medium-bodied white. Crisp citrus, soft orchard fruit, and a clean mineral finish.

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.

Red · Medium · Dry

Tempranillo-based blend from northern Spain, traditionally oak-aged into something quietly profound. Cherry, dill, vanilla, leather; great with lamb, paella, and aged Manchego.

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.

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Spanish table wine, broadly — Tempranillo, Garnacha, or a regional blend. Sun-soaked, food-friendly, increasingly remarkable for the price.

White · Medium · Dry

Portugal's young, slightly fizzy white — Alvarinho, Loureiro, and other native grapes, low in alcohol, bright in acid, made for hot afternoons. The perfect summer porch wine.