Vietnamese Soup

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 Vietnamese Fisherman's Soup · Vietnamese Style Chicken Noodle Soup

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 Vietnamese Fisherman's Soup · Vietnamese Style Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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 · Light · Dry

Gamay-based reds from southern Burgundy — light, fruity, food-friendly. The serious Cru bottlings (Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent) drink like Pinot Noir at half the price.

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.

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.

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.

Red · Medium · Dry

A medium-bodied dry red in the European tradition — bright red fruit, soft tannins, and a savory finish. The everyday house wine of much of southern Europe.

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.