Light Soup

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 Light Soup · Light Mushroom Soup With No Cream · Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) +1 more Light Soup · Light Mushroom Soup With No Cream · Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) · Cream Soups With Lighter Flavors (like Mushroom; Chicken)

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 Light Soup · Light Mushroom Soup With No Cream · Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) +1 more Light Soup · Light Mushroom Soup With No Cream · Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) · Cream Soups With Lighter Flavors (like Mushroom; Chicken)

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.

Works with Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) · Cream Soups With Lighter Flavors (like Mushroom; Chicken)

White · Medium · 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 Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) · Cream Soups With Lighter Flavors (like Mushroom; Chicken)

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 Cream Soup With Light Flavored (like Mushroom; Chicken) · Cream Soups With Lighter Flavors (like Mushroom; Chicken)

Fortified · Medium · Dry

Andalusia's fortified white — runs from bone-dry Fino through nutty Amontillado to syrupy PX. The dry styles pair brilliantly with tapas; the sweet ones replace dessert entirely.

Works with Light Soup · Light Mushroom Soup With No Cream

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

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.