Red Chili

White · Light · Dry

California's take — riper than Sancerre, calmer than Marlborough, with grapefruit, melon, and a clean mineral finish. The everyday white that pairs with almost anything green or briny.

Works with Spicy Red Pork And Bean Chili · Black, White And Red Bean Chili With Sausage

Red · Medium · Dry

Tuscany's everyday red, made from Sangiovese — cherry, leather, and a brisk acidity that makes tomato-based dishes sing. The Classico designation marks the historic heartland and a step up in quality.

Works with Pasta With Lemon, Fennel, Red Chili Peppers · Grilled Tuna With Red Wine,ancho Chili Sauce Over Tomatillo Risotto

White · Medium · Dry

Chardonnay grown on Burgundy's chalkiest soils, almost never oaked. Lean, steely, oyster-shell minerality; a wine that tastes like a place. The wine for shellfish, full stop.

Works with Spicy Red Pork And Bean Chili · Boneless Chicken Breasts With Red Chili Sauce

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.

Works with Red Chili · Mussels Red Thai Chili

White · Light · Dry

Italy's everyday white — light, lemony, neutral by design. Pleasant with anything; profound with very little. The best Friuli bottles are quietly excellent.

Works with Pasta With Lemon, Fennel, Red Chili Peppers · Grilled Tuna With Red Wine,ancho Chili Sauce Over Tomatillo Risotto

Sparkling · Light · Off-dry

Veneto's everyday sparkler — Glera grape, charmat method, frothier and fruitier than Champagne. Pear, white flowers, easy fun. Made for aperitivo.

Works with Mussels Red Thai Chili · Grilled Tuna With Red Wine,ancho Chili Sauce Over Tomatillo Risotto

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 Red Chili · Mussels Red Thai Chili

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.

Works with Red Chili · Mussels Red Thai Chili

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.

Works with Pasta With Lemon, Fennel, Red Chili Peppers · Grilled Tuna With Red Wine,ancho Chili Sauce Over Tomatillo Risotto

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 Mussels Red Thai Chili · Pasta With Lemon, Fennel, Red Chili Peppers

White · Full · Dry

California's flagship white — rounder, riper, and oakier than the Old World original, with tropical fruit, butter, and vanilla. Sonoma Coast and Sta. Rita Hills bottlings are leaner; Napa stays plush.

White · Light · Off-dry

Washington and Finger Lakes Rieslings split the difference between Mosel delicacy and Alsatian heft — bright stone fruit, modest sweetness, lively acid. A natural with Thai, Indian, and anything off the spice rack.