Chat with Vinny
What wine should be paired with roast chicken? It’s probably the most common question our fantastic team of Wine Guides are asked and, thankfully, there’s a quick answer!
Simply prepared roast chicken is the ultimate comfort food and never gets tired. It fills the house with mouth-watering aromas so everyone is drooling by the time it’s served – and there’s something for everyone from breast or dark meat to drumsticks and crispy wings.
But which wine pairing is best to complete the feast?
Roast chicken sits on the fence between red and white wine. A high-welfare bird will have loads of flavour so cooked simply with butter, seasoning, maybe a lemon up the pipe, you’ll find a heavier white or a lighter red will hit the spot.
Here’s the simple answer and a great place to start: good quality Chardonnay.
If you’re spending under £10, the smart money would head to southern France. Admittedly there’s something very special about Burgundy's finest whites and their intricacy of flavour. But they come at quite a price. By going off the beaten track, we’ve discovered that, if you know where to look, there are remote, high-altitude sites within the Languedoc that can produce Chardonnay of real finesse, much like a good Burgundy.
For Dora-the-Explorers, dive into exotic Viognier (especially if you’re cooking with mushrooms or tarragon), a white wine that smells like walking into an old-fashioned French patisserie … all apricots and soft spices. Or a trendy Austrian Grüner Veltliner which has a nutty and spicy taste and can also be be fresh and citrusy, or plump with apricot.
For a special occasion? Up the pecking order is white Burgundy … a dinner party classic. It has enough richness to work with dark meat and a freshness to partner the fatty juices and crispy skin. Even better if you’re roasting potatoes and seasonal veg in the same tray.
Of course you can – if you like it, have it!
For the red-wine drinker, we’d suggest an elegant Pinot Noir - and nowhere does elegant Pinot Noir like the French, although New Zealand is another great option. Look for raspberry, strawberry, cherry, violets and, with age, gamey notes. Its light tannins and bright fruit characteristics make Pinot Noir a great choice for white meat, and even fish.
You could also try a top-rated Cru Beaujolais, which is also light and fruity. The French have a word for how nice Beaujolais feels going down the throat, gouleyant … a lot like the pleasure of eating roast chicken.
For value, choose a plucky Spanish Grenache or Cotes du Rhone.
Whatever else you do, leave your big, black reds on the wine rack. There’s a time and a place but they will monster the mild flavours of poultry. You could be eating anything!
