White wines and white meat

With white meat, the recipe guides your choice of white wine. Quick cooking with herbs calls for a crisp, light white; a golden roast or a rich sauce, a fuller one; a touch of sweetness on the plate, a medium sweet wine. Chicken, veal and pork can move from one style to another depending on the recipe.

Herbs, Lemon and the Grill: A Crisp, Bright White

Grilled herb chicken, lemon pork tenderloin or turkey skewers have clean, fresh flavors. A dry white with lively acidity matches them: its zing works like a squeeze of lemon and refreshes the palate between bites.

In the Loire, Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé brings citrus aromas and a clean finish. Muscadet, made from Melon de Bourgogne, offers an even lighter style for chicken salad or sliced turkey.

In Burgundy, Chardonnay from Chablis keeps a taut, mineral edge that suits veal scallopini pan-fried with lemon.

Golden Roasts and Rich Sauces: A Fuller White

Roast chicken, veal roast or pork in its jus have more flavorful meat and browned pan juices. They need a white with some weight: a Burgundy Chardonnay, or one of the Rhône Valley white wines, often made from Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier or Grenache Blanc.

Thickened sauces made with cream or mushrooms point the same way. A fuller white stands up to the richness of the sauce, while a light white tastes thin beside it. Still keep some freshness in the glass: it lightens the dish.

If you deglaze the sauce with white wine, pour a wine in the same style at the table, or even the same bottle: the sauce and the glass then share the same aromas.

Sweet-and-Savory Dishes and Fruit Stuffings: Where Medium Sweet Whites Fit

Apricot chicken, honey-glazed pork or poultry stuffed with dried fruit bring a touch of sweetness. Next to them, a dry white tastes leaner and sharper; a medium sweet wine restores the balance. EU wine regulations put moelleux, or medium sweet, between 12 and 45 grams of sugar per liter; anything sweeter counts as sweet.

Liquoreux wines such as Sauternes, Loupiac or Monbazillac are richer still and go with festive poultry stuffed with foie gras.

For a lighter dish, a Loire medium sweet or sweet white often keeps more freshness: the Chenin Blanc of Coteaux du Layon holds clear acidity under its sugar, which suits a pork roast with apples.

White Wine and White Meat: Oak, Alsace and Menu Questions

Does an oak-aged white work with white meat?

An oak-aged white works with white meat that is roasted or served in a rich sauce. Barrel aging gives the wine body and toasty or vanilla notes that echo the browned pan juices. With grilled herb chicken or a lemony dish, a white aged in tank keeps more freshness.

Which Alsace white goes with white meat?

With white meat, choose your Alsace white by the recipe: Riesling or Pinot Blanc for grilled dishes, Pinot Gris for a roast or a rich sauce. AOC Alsace generally places the first among dry wines with taut acidity, and Pinot Gris among softer wines with more body.

Can one white wine take you from appetizer to white meat?

One white wine can take you from the appetizer to the white meat course when both dishes have similar intensity. A medium-bodied dry white often bridges a vegetable or fish appetizer and a roast chicken. If the main course comes in a creamy sauce, open a second, fuller bottle.

Where can you buy white wine for white meat direct from the winemaker?

You can buy white wine for white meat direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. Each order is prepared and sent by the producer, not from a warehouse.

See also: Dry white wines - White wines and cheeses - White wines and fish