Your Top Guide to What Wines Pair Best with Chicken

The simple answer to what wine pairs with chicken is that lots of different wines pair well with chicken. Chicken is such a versatile meat. With so many ways to cook and enjoy it, there is almost no style of wine that does not have a chicken dish it will complement beautifully.

White wines, rosés, light reds, rich reds, even sparkling wines have a place in our guide to what wines pair best with chicken. The key is how you cook your chicken.

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Best Wines to Pair with Chicken & Turkey - your quick guide

Cut through the choices with helpful tips and suggestions. In only 5 minutes our video guides you through the best wines to pair with your chicken dish.

 

What wine pairs with chicken index:

>> Top Tips on Wine & Food Pairing

Based on the type of wine:

>> Best White Wines with Chicken

>> Best Red Wines with Chicken

Based on the method of cooking:

>> Wine Pairing with Fried Chicken

>> Wine Pairing with BBQ Chicken

>> Best Wine with Grilled Chicken

>> Roast Chicken Wine Pairing

>> Best Wine with Spicy Chicken

 

Top Tips on Wine and Food Pairing 

Wine and food pairing is not an exact science, that’s what makes it fun. There are no right answers and your personal preferences come into play. Use our wine & food pairing basics to help guide you through the options to find the best wine to pair with your chicken.

Wine & Food Pairing Basics

There are three factors to consider in food & wine pairing, weight, flavour intensity and flavour characteristics. The weight and flavour intensities of the food and wine are best when they are balanced, so one does not overwhelm the other. For example, an intensely flavoured chicken dish like roast chicken with rich gravy would overwhelm a light white wine like Pinot Grigio. A richer red wine would provide a better balance.

With flavour characteristics you can look to complement the flavour characteristic of a dish with the same characteristic in the wine. For example, a creamy chicken pie would pair beautifully with a creamy chardonnay.

However, there are also some fantastic pairings where opposites attract. More on that later.

 

Best wines with chicken based on the type of wine

 

Best White Wine with Chicken

The fantastic thing about chicken is that it makes such a wide variety of dishes. From light cold chicken with vegetables, through creamy chicken pie, right up to rich roasts and casseroles, chicken provides the opportunity to pair with all styles of white wines.

Best lighter, fruity white wines with chicken:

• Italy’s Pinot Grigio
• Gavi
• Spain’s white Rioja (unoaked lighter style)
• Chablis
• Other unoaked Chardonnay
• Unoaked Chenin Blanc

Lighter fruity whites pair with lighter chicken dishes, cold cut chicken, lightly grilled chicken, chicken salads(particularly where they feature fruit), and lighter chicken pastas.

These wines also work with creamy chicken dishes like chicken pie and chicken Caesar salad. The crisp acidity cuts through the creaminess providing a delicious contrast between the wine and the food.

Best aromatic whites with chicken:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Spain’s Albarino
• Portugal’s Alvarinho
• Sauvignon Gris (New Zealand and Bordeaux have great examples)
• Greece’s Assyrtiko
• English Bacchus

Aromatic whites are a great choice as flavours become more intense, like char-grilled chicken and more intense pasta chicken dishes, the intensity of the wines balancing with the more intense foods.

These wines also work with creamy chicken dishes like chicken pie.

Best rich & full-bodied whites with chicken:

• Oaked Chenin Blanc
• Viognier (for a treat try a Condrieu from the Northern Rhone)
• Fumé Blanc (oaked Sauvignon Blanc)
• Oaked richer style white Rioja
• Oaked Chardonnay (treat yourself to a one from Margaret River in Western Australia)

Richer full-bodied whites are ideal for casseroles, roasts with rich gravy, and creamy dishes like chicken pie, creamy chicken risottos and pasta dishes.

 

Best Red Wine with Chicken 

With the versatility of chicken and the wide variety of dishes it can make, all styles of red wine can pair beautifully. Lighter, fruity, smooth reds, and richer, bold reds - there are many to choose from.

This is also where your personal wine preferences play their part. If you are someone who loves smoother, lower tannin reds with lots of fruit, then go for our first selection. Whereas if you prefer richer, more tannic, and intense wines then go for our second selection.

Best lighter, fruity & smooth red wines with chicken:

• Pinot Noir
• Italy’s Valpolicella Classico
• Chianti Classico
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (a fantastic flexible foodie red)
• Cabernet Franc
• Merlot
• Rioja Crianza
• Beaujolais
• Grenache (like a Cotes du Rhone)

These reds are ideal as chicken dishes start to become more intensely flavoured such as char-grilled chicken, dishes with rich fruity sauces, BBQ, Italian and Middle Eastern dishes. They also have enough flavour intensity to work well with roast chicken & gravy.

These red wines are also a particularly good option for people who do not usually drink red wine as they have smooth lower tannins and fruity flavours.

Chicken dishes with tomato sauces pair beautifully with Italian reds like Valpolicella Classico and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. After all, Italians have had centuries to develop wines to pair with their foods, and they are experts at it.

If you are having a creamy dish, like creamy chicken pie, a light and fruity red would work. Although I personally prefer a white.

Best rich & bold red wine with chicken:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Shiraz
• Bordeaux reds
• Rioja Reserva
• Chianti Riserva
• Zinfandel
• Valpolicella Ripasso
• Amarone della Valpolicella for a special occasion

These rich & bold red wines pair beautifully with the richest chicken dishes, such as roast chicken & gravy and rich casseroles.

 

 

Best wines based on the method of cooking your chicken

Wine Pairing with Fried Chicken 

Would you believe this is where sparkling wine comes into its own. This is where opposites attract when it comes to wine and food pairing. The refreshing acidity and bubbles cut through the fat in the fried chicken offering a wonderful contrast.

With lots of sparkling wines to choose from, my preference would be for a traditional, champagne-method sparkling wine. These wines come in different flavour intensities. With more lees ageing, biscuit and pastry flavours are added to the fruity, apple, pear, and citrus flavours, making for more intense and complex wines.

Best traditional method sparkling wines with chicken

• South African ('SA') ‘Méthode Cap Classique’ wines are great value sparkling wines.
• French Crémant wines are also good value
• Champagne, there are lots to choose from. Most supermarkets have an own-brand option. Or push the boat out with of one of the bigger brands. Tattinger if you prefer a lighter style, Bollinger for more lees ageing.

SHOP our delicious SA Cap Classique Charles Fox SA Sparkling Reserve White NV

But what about Prosecco?

• Prosecco and
• Rosé Prosecco are a fun pairing with your fried chicken.

 

Wine Pairing with BBQ Chicken

The charring on the chicken from the BBQ gives it more intense flavour. However, it is not just the chicken to think about. BBQs are a rich mix of flavours, textures, sauces, and accompaniments. That means lots of choices in wine pairing with BBQ chicken.

All styles of wines work, whether you prefer white, reds or rosé, there are loads to choose from.

Best white wines with BBQ chicken

With whites, you want a white with lots of flavour and a bit of texture and creaminess. Rich & full-body whites are ideal, although aromatic whites can also hold their own with the full-on flavour party of a BBQ.

• Oaked Chardonnay
• Oaked Chenin Blanc
• Viognier
• Oaked richer style white Rioja
• Aromatic Sauvignon Blanc
• Aromatic Sauvignon Gris

Best rosé wines with BBQ chicken

Rosés are perfect BBQ wines. Deeper coloured rosé wines, with a hint of sweetness can work exceptionally well.

• Spanish Rosado. These are made from Tempranillo, with a deeper colour from longer skin contact, they are made to be drunk with food.
• Provencal-style rosé. Pale and dry, with lighter strawberry and citrus flavours. These are a personal favourite of mine with BBQ. Serve chilled.

Clairet - Best light red with BBQ chicken

Clairet is a cross between a light red wine and a deeply coloured rosé. It is dry with lots of red fruit flavours and is ideal served chilled at a BBQ. A unique style from the Bordeaux area of southwest France, it almost died out, but it is now (rightly) back in fashion.

We have a delicious example from Chateau Penin. The owner of this family run vineyard was instrumental in bringing Clairet back from the brink. SHOP this premier Chateau Penin Clairet.

Best red wines with BBQ chicken

You have so much choice when red wine pairing with BBQ chicken. Best reds are those that are full of fruity flavours, not too high in tannins, and lower on the alcohol, for those hot days.

• Pinot Noir from New Zealand or Germany (where it is called Spatburgunder)
• Cabernet Franc
• Grenache blends, like a Cote du Rhone
• Shiraz
• Valpolicella Classico
• Chianti Classico
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (a fantastic flexible foodie red)
• Merlot
• Rioja Crianza
• Beaujolais

Prefer a richer red?

Although these wines are dry, they have a certain sweet fruit flavour which pairs beautifully with the sweetness from BBQ sauces and char-grilling. Watch out though, they often have high alcohol.

• Zinfandel
• Also look out for Primativo from southern Italy (the same grape variety)
• Valpolicella Ripasso

Download your FREE Guide: Best Wines with Summer Foods & BBQ

 

 

Best Wine with Grilled Chicken

Selecting the best wine with grilled chicken is where white wines come into their own. Although sparkling, rosé and reds get in on the act depending on the accompaniments to your dish.

Light dishes

Light, crisp whites, and refreshing aromatic whites are the best wines for lighter flavoured grilled dishes, like grilled chicken salad with vinaigrette dressing.

• Pinot Grigio
• Gavi
• Verdicchio
• Chablis

Creamy sauces and dressings

If you are having your grilled chicken with a creamy sauce, risotto, or a dressing like on a Caesar Salad, you can either complement the delicious creaminess with your wine or contrast it.

Complement the creaminess with a rich creamy white wine

• Oaked Chardonnay
• Oaked Chenin Blanc
• Viognier
• Oaked richer style white Rioja

If you don’t like oaked Chardonnay, look for one with a creamy texture without the use of oak. We have a wonderful example made by a female winemaker in Burgundy, SHOP Clos de l’Eglise Macon Charnay [link].

Contrast the creaminess with a crisp aromatic still white or a sparkling wine.

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Albarino/Alvarinho
• Verdicchio
• Assyrtiko from Greece
• Bacchus from England

White Sparkling wines

• South African Cap Classique
• Crémant
• Prosecco
• Champagne

Tomato sauce

For grilled chicken dishes with a tomato sauce, I’d head straight for a light Italian red.

• Valpolicella Classico
• Chianti Classico
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

 

Roast Chicken Wine Pairing

Roast chicken is one of the richest of the chicken dishes, particularly when it is served with gravy. This brings richer white wines and all styles of reds as options for your roast chicken wine pairing.

Best white wines with roast chicken

Richer, full-bodied whites are ideal pairings with roast chicken. However, aromatic whites can also work due to the intensity of flavours.

• Oaked Chardonnay
• Oaked Chenin Blanc
• Viognier
• Bordeaux white
• Richer style white Rioja
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Sauvignon Gris

Best red wines with roast chicken

There are lots of red wines that pair wonderfully with roast chicken. Highlights include:

• Cabernet Franc (a great all-round food wine - fruity & smooth)
• Pinot Noir
• Bordeaux red
• Shiraz
• Valpolicella Ripasso (great value wines)
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (a fantastic flexible foodie red)
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Shiraz
• Old Vine Zinfandel (wines from old vines are often higher quality, with more intense flavours)

Clairet - the perfect light red option

Clairet is a cross between a light red wine and a deeply coloured rosé. It is dry with lots of red fruit flavours. The fruity flavours complement the caramelised flavours you get with roast vegetables and the skin of roast chicken.

A unique style from the Bordeaux area of southwest France, it almost died out, but it is now (rightly) back in fashion. We have a delicious example from Chateau Penin. The owner of this family run vineyard was instrumental in bringing Clairet back from the brink. SHOP this premier Chateau Penin Clairet.

 

Best Wine with Spicy Chicken

The most common wine recommendations I see for pairing with spicy foods are aromatic, lower alcohol (11-12%) white wines. Although they have their place, they are not the whole story.

Alcohol enhances the spicy heat of a dish. Recommending lower alcohol wines assumes that you do not want the heat enhanced. However, if you are someone who loves your food spicy you might love more heat!

It’s your choice, check the label for the alcohol level.

Best white wines with spicy chicken:

Aromatic whites are a good choice for creamy Indian and spicy Thai curries as they have the flavour intensity to complement highly flavoured spicy dishes.

• Riesling (Germany is the home of Riesling, but you get some lovely examples from Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys)
• Gewurztraminer (Alsace and Germany are the homes of Gewurztraminer)

We have a delicious example from Chile. Discover it at Shop Best Wines with Chicken [link]

Rich fuller-bodied whites also have a place as they have a rich creaminess which can complement the texture of the dish.

• Oaked Chardonnay
• Oaked Chenin Blanc
• Viognier

Best red wines with spicy chicken:

Lighter, fruity reds with smooth tannins are the best reds to pair with spicy foods. You really want to avoid overly tannic red wines with spicy foods. Tannins and spice are not a great combination.

• Pinot Noir
• Cabernet Franc
• Grenache
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
• Merlot

Chill your red for a great combination with spicy Thai curries.

Rosé wines with spicy foods

• Rosé is a great wine style with spicy foods. The red fruit flavours work particularly well with tomato-based curries.Serve chilled.

Clairet - the perfect wine with spicy chicken?

• Clairet is a cross between a light red wine and a deeply coloured rosé. It is dry with lots of red fruit flavours. Served chilled, it is a great complement to tomato-based curries.

A unique style from the Bordeaux area of southwest France, it almost died out, but it is now (rightly) back in fashion. We have a delicious example from Chateau Penin. The owner of this family run vineyard was instrumental in bringing Clairet back from the brink. SHOP this premier Chateau Penin Clairet.

 

Top 6 Wines with Chicken

As you can tell from this blog, there are lots of answers to what wine pairs with chicken. How you’re cooking your chicken, your personal wine preferences, all come into play.

With so many to choose from, what are my top wines to enjoy with chicken? It was difficult for me to narrow it down but I managed it.

 

DISCOVER my Top 6 Wines with Chicken & Turkey:

READ - Six Best Wines with Chicken & Turkey article

 

WATCH 3-minute video 

Top 6 Wines with Chicken & Turkey

Simple straightforward video which, in less than three minutes, cuts through the choices for you.

 

 

Cheers!

Janne