Capers And Olives

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 Capers And Olives · Halibut With Olives, Tomatoes And Capers

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 Penne With Tomatoes, Olives And Capers · Chicken With Roasted Lemon, Green Olives, And Capers

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 Halibut With Olives, Tomatoes And Capers · Grilled Leeks With Green Olives Capers And Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

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 Halibut With Olives, Tomatoes And Capers · Grilled Leeks With Green Olives Capers And Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

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.

A wine outside our reference catalogue — likely a single-producer or single-vineyard bottling. Open with a small pour to assess body and sweetness, then pair to match its weight.

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.

White · Medium · Dry

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

Red · Medium · Dry

Tuscany's most serious wine — pure Sangiovese aged at least five years before release. Cherry, leather, tobacco, dried herb; immensely structured, immensely age-worthy.

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.

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

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