Red, White

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 White Fish With Red Pepper Sauce · Linguine With White Clam Sauce-a Red · A Greek Food Banquet (red And White Wine) +1 more White Fish With Red Pepper Sauce · Linguine With White Clam Sauce-a Red · A Greek Food Banquet (red And White Wine) · Lobster Ravioli With Red Sauce And White Truffle Butter

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 A Greek Food Banquet (red And White Wine) · Roasted Red Peppers With White Beans Spread · Paella With Lobster/rabbit/shellfish -need Red Wine Alternative To White

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 White Fish With Red Pepper Sauce · Seared White Peaches With Fig Balsamic Reduction · Lobster Ravioli With Red Sauce And White Truffle Butter

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 White Fish With Red Pepper Sauce · Roasted Red Peppers With White Beans Spread · Lobster Ravioli With Red Sauce And White Truffle Butter

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 White Fish With Red Pepper Sauce · Linguine With White Clam Sauce-a Red · Lobster Ravioli With Red Sauce And White Truffle Butter

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 Seared White Peaches With Fig Balsamic Reduction · Filet Mignon With Warm Red Center Dressed In Espresso Coulis With White Chocolate Drizzle

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 Roasted Red Peppers With White Beans Spread · Filet Mignon With Warm Red Center Dressed In Espresso Coulis With White Chocolate Drizzle

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 A Greek Food Banquet (red And White Wine) · Roasted Red Peppers With White Beans Spread

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 · Light · Off-dry

Washington and Finger Lakes Rieslings split the difference between Mosel delicacy and Alsatian heft — bright stone fruit, modest sweetness, lively acid. A natural with Thai, Indian, and anything off the spice rack.

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.

White · Medium · Dry

Volcanic Greek white from Santorini — laser acid, salt, and stone-fruit minerality. The defining wine for seafood, octopus, and Mediterranean grilled fare.