Pan Fried Duck

White · Medium · Dry

Same grape as Pinot Grigio, different attitude — the Alsatian style is richer, fuller, faintly honeyed, with the structure to handle pork, smoked fish, and Asian aromatics.

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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.

Works with Pan Fried Duck · Pan Fried Duck Breast · Duck Lg Confit And Pan Fried Foie Gras

Red · Medium · Dry

The blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that fills every wine list in France for a reason — friendly, peppery, slightly rustic, made to wash down anything from grilled vegetables to lamb stew.

Works with Pan Fried Duck · Pan Fried Duck Breast · Duck Lg Confit And Pan Fried Foie Gras

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 Pan Fried Duck · Pan Fried Duck Breast · Duck Lg Confit And Pan Fried Foie Gras

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 Pan Fried Duck Liver With Apples · Pan Fried Duck Foie Gras With Apples

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 Pan Fried Duck · Pan Fried Duck Breast

Southwest France's quiet treasure — both bone-dry and lusciously sweet wines from the Gros and Petit Manseng grapes. The sweet bottlings are world-class.

Works with Pan Fried Duck Liver With Apples · Pan Fried Duck Foie Gras With Apples

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 Pan Fried Duck · Pan Fried Duck Breast

White · Medium · 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.

Red · Full · Dry

The classical red blend — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and friends — from southwest France. Black currant, cedar, tobacco; serious structure; rewards patience and decanting.

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.

A small Loire appellation — Sauvignon-Chardonnay whites and Pinot Noir-Gamay reds. Inexpensive, food-friendly, the picnic wine.