Garlic Aioli

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.

Works with Baked Brie With Mushrooms And Garlic Aioli · Grilled Flank Steak With Roasted Garlic Aioli

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 Crab Cake With Garlic Aioli · Baked Brie With Mushrooms And Garlic Aioli

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 Garlic Aioli · Bruschetta With Tomatoes And Garlic Aioli

Red · Medium · Dry

The soul of Tuscany — bright red cherry, dried herbs, and a savory line of acidity that craves tomato sauce. Chianti is the everyday face; Brunello is its serious cousin.

Works with Bruschetta With Tomatoes And Garlic Aioli · Baked Brie With Mushrooms And Garlic Aioli

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 Garlic Aioli · Crab Cake With Garlic Aioli

Red · Medium · Dry

Pinot Noir (red) or Chardonnay (white) from the world's most expensive dirt. Translucent, perfumed, ethereal at the top of the hierarchy; honest and pleasant lower down. Drink slowly, with reverence.

Red · Medium · Dry

Tuscany's everyday red, made from Sangiovese — cherry, leather, and a brisk acidity that makes tomato-based dishes sing. The Classico designation marks the historic heartland and a step up in quality.

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.

Sparkling · Light · Off-dry

Veneto's everyday sparkler — Glera grape, charmat method, frothier and fruitier than Champagne. Pear, white flowers, easy fun. Made for aperitivo.

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.

A Portuguese white grape used in both dry and fortified wines — citrus, beeswax, mineral. Best known for one of the four traditional Madeira styles (medium-dry).

Liguria, Tuscany, and Sardinia's seaside white — citrus, salt, herb, and a clean mineral finish. The Mediterranean's answer to Sauvignon Blanc.