Pesto Goat Cheese

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 Pesto Salmon Goat Cheese · Roasted Red Peppers With Pesto And Baby Greens Served With Goat Cheese Toasts

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 Pesto Salmon Goat Cheese · Roasted Red Peppers With Pesto And Baby Greens Served With Goat Cheese Toasts

Loire wines from around the city of Angers — Chenin Blanc whites (dry to sweet) and Cabernet Franc rosés. The whites are tremendous values.

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.

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.

Loire Cabernet Franc at its most refined — pencil-shavings, raspberry, and a flint-stone finish. The bistro red of choice; equally good chilled in summer.

White · Medium · Dry

California's name for Sauvignon Blanc, popularized by Robert Mondavi — usually with a touch of oak, fuller-bodied than New Zealand or Loire styles.

Red · Light · Dry

Beaujolais's grape and a thinking-person's Pinot. Bright cherry, banana, granite, low tannins, high drinkability. Chill it slightly; pair with picnic charcuterie or roast chicken.

White · Medium · Dry

Marlborough's signature wine — passionfruit, grapefruit, cut grass, gooseberry, with a snap of acid that practically clears the palate. Loud, refreshing, unmistakable.

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Fortified red from Portugal's Douro Valley — sweet, warming, and surprisingly versatile. Ruby and LBV are for everyday; Vintage and Tawny are for serious occasions. Pair with blue cheese, walnuts, or just a fire.

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.

Red · Medium · Dry

A medium-bodied red. Cherry, plum, and a touch of spice; food-friendly and ready to drink.