Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil

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 Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil · Caprese Salad (tomato; Fresh Mozzarella; Basil) · Roasted Tomatoes With Basil And Fresh Mozzarella

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 Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil · Caprese Salad (tomato; Fresh Mozzarella; Basil) · Roasted Tomatoes With Basil And Fresh Mozzarella

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 Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil · Caprese Salad (tomato; Fresh Mozzarella; Basil) · Roasted Tomatoes With Basil And Fresh Mozzarella

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.

Works with Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil · Roasted Tomatoes With Basil And Fresh Mozzarella

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 Caprese Salad (tomato; Fresh Mozzarella; Basil) · Roasted Tomatoes With Basil And Fresh Mozzarella

White · Light · Dry

Galicia's gift to summer — citrus, peach, salt air, and acid like a knife. Made for shellfish, paella, and any dish that involves the sea.

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.

Languedoc's vast everyday red appellation — Grenache and Syrah blends with sun-baked fruit and Mediterranean herb. Reliable; rarely expensive.

Campania's other serious white — Greco grape on volcanic soil, all peach, almond, and surprising structure. Ages quietly and well.

Dessert · Medium · Sweet

The Loire's most versatile grape — bone-dry and steely from Savennières, honeyed and ageless from Vouvray. Naturally high acid keeps every style food-friendly.

White · Medium · 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.

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.