Juniper Berries

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 Venison With Cranberries Or Juniper Berries · Smoked Pork Shoulder Cooked In Ginger Ale With Juniper Berries And Mustard Cream Sauce

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 Duck Breast With Juniper Berries And Plum Salsa · Smoked Pork Shoulder Cooked In Ginger Ale With Juniper Berries And Mustard Cream Sauce

White · Light · Off-dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.

Works with Juniper Berries · Smoked Pork Shoulder Cooked In Ginger Ale With Juniper Berries And Mustard Cream Sauce

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.

Red · Medium · Dry

A French-American hybrid grape, mostly grown in Canada and the eastern US — dark, smoky, peppery, with surprising structure. A regional specialty worth seeking out.

Provence's most serious red — Mourvèdre-dominated, structured, savory, with notes of black olive, leather, and Mediterranean herb. The age-worthy alternative to a southern Rhône.

Red · Full · Dry

Nebbiolo from a single corner of Piedmont, slow-aged into something legendary. Tar and roses, dried cherry, leather; tannins that take a decade to soften. Decant; pair with truffle, braise, or aged hard cheese.

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.

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.

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 · Medium · Off-dry

The Loire's most versatile grape — bone-dry and steely from Savennières, honeyed and ageless from Vouvray. Naturally high acid keeps every style food-friendly.