Tequila Chicken

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.

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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 Tequila Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken · Chicken Tequila +2 more Tequila Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken · Chicken Tequila · Chicken-tequila Cream Fettuccini · Tequila Lime Chicken With Cilantro Dressing

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.

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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 Tequila Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken · Chicken Tequila +1 more Tequila Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken · Chicken Tequila · Chicken-tequila Cream Fettuccini

White · Medium · Dry

Pacific Northwest Sémillon — Washington and California's quiet white grape, with waxy texture, lemon curd, and the structure to age.

Works with Grilled Tequila-lime Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken With Cilantro Dressing

White · Medium · Dry

Argentine whites, broadly — Torrontés is the signature, with jasmine and stone fruit; some serious Chardonnay from high-altitude vineyards.

Works with Grilled Tequila-lime Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken With Cilantro Dressing

Red · Medium · Dry

Shiraz's more reserved European cousin — Northern Rhône style, all violets, black olive, and white pepper. Less brawn, more poise; pairs as well with lamb as with peppered duck breast.

Works with Grilled Tequila-lime Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken With Cilantro Dressing

White · Medium · Dry

Chardonnay grown on Burgundy's chalkiest soils, almost never oaked. Lean, steely, oyster-shell minerality; a wine that tastes like a place. The wine for shellfish, full stop.

Works with Grilled Tequila-lime Chicken · Tequila Lime Chicken With Cilantro Dressing

Rosé · Light · Dry

Chardonnay grown on Burgundy's chalkiest soils, almost never oaked. Lean, steely, oyster-shell minerality; a wine that tastes like a place. The wine for shellfish, full stop.

The Rhône's most famous appellation — up to 13 grape varieties blended into something dense, warm, peppery, and unmistakable. Black cherry, garrigue, leather; built for braised lamb and aged cheese.

White · Medium · Off-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.

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.