Blackened Halibut

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.

Works with Blackened Halibut · Cajun-style Blackened Halibut

White · Medium · Dry

Dry German Riesling — increasingly the country's flagship style. Stone fruit, slate minerality, racing acid; pairs beautifully with everything from sushi to schnitzel.

Works with Blackened Halibut · Cajun-style Blackened Halibut

White · Light · Dry

Marche's quietly excellent white — apple and almond, a faint bitterness on the finish, and unusual ageability for an Italian white. Try the Castelli di Jesi Riserva.

Works with Blackened Halibut · Cajun-style Blackened Halibut

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.

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 · 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

A medium-bodied dry red in the European tradition — bright red fruit, soft tannins, and a savory finish. The everyday house wine of much of southern Europe.

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.

White · Medium · Dry

A catchall for white wine generally — covers everything from a $10 weeknight pour to grand cru Burgundy. Match the bottle's weight to the food's weight; rarely fails.