Duck With Fig & Cherry Sauce

Red · Medium · 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.

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.

A regional or producer-specific wine outside our standard reference. Body, acid, and sweetness will tell you most of what you need to know — let the first sip guide the plate.

Red · Full · Dry

Argentina's signature grape: deep purple, plummy, and remarkably smooth for its weight. Soft tannins and a touch of cocoa make it the dinner-party Cabernet alternative — and far easier on the wallet.

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.

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.

Red · Full · Dry

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

Burgundy's most muscular Pinot Noir village — dense, dark-fruited, structured, with grippy tannins by Burgundy standards. The Pinot for those who normally drink Bordeaux.

White · Light · Dry

Sauvignon Blanc from the upper Loire, grown on flint and chalk. Citrus, smoke, and a mineral finish that hints at struck stone. The refined antithesis of New Zealand's tropical SBs.

Red · Medium · 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.

Languedoc's regional wine designation — usually a single-varietal wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, Viognier) at honest prices. Reliable everyday value.

Red · Full · Dry

California's brawler — jammy blackberry, brambly spice, and 15% alcohol that hides behind the fruit. Built for ribs, brisket, and anything that came off a grill.