Maple Glazed Turkey

Red · Medium · 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.

Red · Medium · Dry

California and Oregon's answer to Burgundy — riper, more upfront fruit than the French original, with cherry, raspberry, and gentle oak. Sonoma and Willamette set the standard.

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

Lychee, rose petal, and a touch of ginger; medium-bodied, low-acid, and unmistakable. The wine for any cuisine where the spice cabinet did the heavy lifting.

Burgundy's most generous white — rich, buttery, full of stone fruit and toasted nut. The Chardonnay you reach for when Chablis feels too austere.

Bordeaux's Left Bank — Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends with structure, gravel, and the patience to age. The classic claret profile.

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.

Bordeaux's Right Bank jewel — Merlot-dominated blends on iron-rich clay, producing wines of plush richness and remarkable longevity. The reference for elegant Merlot.

Red · Medium · Dry

The original Bordeaux region — gravelly soils producing both Cabernet-led reds and serious Sauvignon-Semillon whites. The reds are leaner and more savory than the Médoc.

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.

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.