Bearnaise Sauce

Red · Full · Dry

The benchmark for full-bodied red — structured, age-worthy, unapologetic. Black currant, graphite, and tobacco lead into firm tannins that demand protein on the plate. Decant young bottles; cellar the serious ones.

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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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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 Bearnaise Sauce · Tournedo With Bearnaise Sauce · Tournedos With Béarnaise Sauce

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 Bearnaise Sauce · Tournedo With Bearnaise Sauce · Kansas City Steaks With Lobster Béarnaise Sauce

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 Bearnaise Sauce · Tournedo With Bearnaise Sauce

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.

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Red · Full · Dry

South Africa's signature grape — smoky, bramble-fruited, polarizing. The good bottles are surprisingly elegant; pair with barbecue and lamb.

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The Right Bank's grand commune — Merlot-and-Cabernet-Franc blends with rounder tannins and earlier drinkability than the Médoc. Plum, truffle, leather; food-friendly across decades.

Works with Beef & Bearnaise Sauce · Beef And Bearnaise Sauce

Red · Full · Dry

Old-vine Shiraz from Barossa or McLaren Vale: dark, peppery, and unembarrassed about its size. Black plum, smoked meat, licorice, and a finish that lingers like the last embers of a grill.

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Red · Medium · Dry

California Merlot, when made well — plummy, supple, with a touch of cocoa and earlier drinkability than its Bordeaux cousins. The unfairly maligned dinner-party red.

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.

Rome's everyday white — straw-colored, soft, lemony Malvasia blend. The wine of trattorias from Trastevere to Testaccio.