Serving Wine with Poultry and Fowl Entrees

If you're planning a meal with poultry or any type of fowl, then serving a tasty wine with the meal will add a sense of elegance to the evening. Wine is often served at fancy dinner parties (entertaining friends, clients, co-workers, etc) or to create a romantic dining experience for a couple.  Whatever your plans, you can pair just the right wine with your chicken entree or other fowl-based meal to delight your guests.

A good rule of thumb is to serve white wine with lighter meals as well as with white meat.  Red wines are often preferred with red meat or heavier meals.  Become familiar with light-bodied and full-bodied wines.  Wines that are consider to be "light-bodied" are those with a lighter alcohol consistency.  Therefore these wines taste lighter in the mouth.  Full-bodied wines have a high alcohol content and have a heavier "taste and feel" in the mouth. 

Some examples of light-bodied wines include White Zinfandel, Pinot Gris and Riesling.  And here are a few full-bodied wines:  Australian Shiraz, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Californian Cabernet Sauvignon.  Generally, light-bodied wines are recommended for lighter food, and vice versa for full-bodied varieties.  There are many wines that fall in between, so you'll have room to experiment when trying to select a wine for your dish.

By pairing just the right wine with your entree, the flavor and aroma will be enhanced.  The only drawback is knowing which wine to serve with various dishes.  We've put together some basic combination suggestions to help make the decision a little easier.

Wine Suggestions for Chicken

There are a number of wines that go well with chicken.  The key is to find the right blend of fruitiness (grape flavor), acidity and sweetness. A quick, easy solution for most chicken dishes is to buy a bottle of Australian Chardonnay or Burgundy (French white wine). 

Of course, the type of wine you choose should depend heavily on the type of chicken you are preparing and the sauce or seasonings being used.  For roast chicken entrees (salt, pepper or garlic), try Barbera, German Riesling, Grenache, Ribero del Duero or Dolcetto.  Grilled chicken with various seasonings (garlic, paprika, ginger or saffron) can be complemented with Sauvignon Blanks, Cotes-du-Rhone, Minervois or off-dry white Rieslings. Opt for a medium-bodied red wine that has good acidity with grilled chicken.

For creamy chicken dishes, try a wine from the Voigner grape.  For tomato-based chicken dishes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian Chianti or French Medoc will taste delightful.  For barbecue chicken, a stronger wine is preferable to compete with the strong flavors of barbecue sauce or marinade.  A few to try include Petit Sirah, Zinfandel and Beaujolais.

Wine Suggestions for Duck

Duck can be prepared a number of ways-stuffed, broiled, barbecued, roasted, baked, or in Oriental stir fry dishes.  Similar to chicken, you'll want a wine that's suitable for the sauce or seasoning being used.  Roast duck tastes delightful with a glass of French Chianti, Bordeaux, Southern Rhone or Graves varieties.  Pinot Noir is also recommended for several types of duck entrees (cassoulet, pan seared breast, duck confit, roast duck, etc.).  A grilled duck breast can be served with Beaujolais or Pinot Noir.  Some suggestions for roast duck breast in plum sauce include Syrah and Barbera. 

Wine Suggestions for Turkey

A slow-roasted or deep-fried turkey is often associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.  These are the perfect occasions to lavish your holiday guests with a glass of wine during a traditional turkey dinner. Turkey can be served with white or red wine, depending on the distinct qualities of the wine.  Pinot Noir is a flavorful red wine that goes well with a variety of turkey dishes (even one with all the trimmings) if you prefer red wine that has little tannin. 

For white wine, find a good bottle of Chardonnay. Other suggestions include White Zinfandel and Vouvray.  Since it is a matter of preference, consider having both a white and red wine available for your holiday guests so they can choose.

Wine Suggestions for Other Fowl

Other popular types of fowl include goose, quail/squab, and pheasant.  Goose is often associated with holiday meals, similar to turkey.  In Germany, goose is served during the Feast of Saint Martin holiday.  It has been popular in years past during the Christmas season in Europe.  Goose can be served with red or white wine.  Some white wine suggestions for goose include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  Red wine suggestions for goose are Red Burgundy, Zinfandel and Tempranillo.

Quail and squab can be oven roasted and served with Bordeaux, Rioja Reserva or Pinotage.  Pheasant tastes like a blend between chicken and venison.  The birds tend to dry out due to lack of fat, so cook with care.  This also means to choose the wine with caution.  There are wines that tend to have a mouth-drying effect.  Some good wines for pheasant include Hermitage, Bordeaux red wine, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile).

There are plenty of wine choices for poultry/fowl, so don't stress over it too much.  Just pick one or two to try for starters, and think of it as a simple way to complement your chicken or other bird dishes without changing the recipes! 

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