Ahi Tar Tar

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 Ahi Tar Tar · Ahi Tuna Tar Tar

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 Ahi Tuna Tar Tar · Ahi Tuna Tartar With Sunflower Seeds

White · Medium · Dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.

Alsace's quietly delicious supporting grape — light, lemony, faintly herbal, with the structure to handle fish and lighter pork dishes.

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.

White · Medium · Off-dry

The Loire's most versatile grape — bone-dry and steely from Savennières, honeyed and ageless from Vouvray. Naturally high acid keeps every style food-friendly.

Languedoc's vast everyday red appellation — Grenache and Syrah blends with sun-baked fruit and Mediterranean herb. Reliable; rarely expensive.

A small Loire appellation — Sauvignon-Chardonnay whites and Pinot Noir-Gamay reds. Inexpensive, food-friendly, the picnic wine.

White · Medium · Dry

California's name for Sauvignon Blanc, popularized by Robert Mondavi — usually with a touch of oak, fuller-bodied than New Zealand or Loire styles.

The original Bordeaux region — gravelly soils producing both Cabernet-led reds and serious Sauvignon-Semillon whites. The reds are leaner and more savory than the Médoc.

White · Medium · Dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.

The aristocratic heart of Graves — both red and white Bordeaux of exceptional quality. Reds are smoky and structured; whites are some of France's most ageable.