A successful chicken and wine pairing is not only awesome, it’s actually not too tricky to achieve. As a general rule, white meat needs a softer wine that doesn’t drown out the flavours of the dish. White wines work well with chicken, as do softer reds with spicy marinades.
Here at VW, our lovely Wine Buyers have teamed up with field&flower to create a list of dream wine pairings for everyone’s favourite chicken dishes.
Chicken Breast and Pancetta with Pinot Noir
The breast is the leanest part of a chicken, and can be very juicy and tender – unless you overcook it of course! Try stuffing with mozzarella and wrapping in pancetta for a simple but impressive meal that’s packed with naughty, exciting flavours. Serve with a dollop of creamy, buttery mash and seasonal green vegetables.
Wine to Pair
The delightful and delicate Lenne Pinot Noir 2016 from Pfalz in Germany has a light enough flavour to not overpower the white meat. It’s a very grown-up Pinot Noir with subtle strawberry on the nose and berry tartness on the palate. The age of this bottle means there’ll be some savoury, smoky undertones that will complement the pancetta beautifully, and the acidity will be high enough to cut through that fatty mozzarella.
BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with Zinfandel
Drumsticks are similar to wings in that they come on the bone, but they are made from the chicken’s shins. They are easy to cook and ideal for marinating and chucking on the BBQ. Make a tangy BBQ sauce for the drumsticks, and serve with homemade coleslaw, chips and a green salad.
Wine to Pair
You can’t beat a big, bold red like Zinfandel when pairing with strong BBQ flavours. The Eberle Paso Robles Zinfandel 2016 is a full-bodied red with deep and dense jammy dark fruits, a velvety texture and spicy undertones. It’s absolutely bursting with flavours that will balance rather nicely with the rich, smoky marinade and BBQ char.
Chilli Chicken Strips with Sauvignon Blanc
One for the healthy eaters out there. Chicken breast strips are a great source of lean protein, and are often used in lighter white meat dishes such as Chicken Caesar Salad. Chicken strips really take on other flavours very well, so will soak up a sauce easily and allow you to spice up a healthy dish with minimal effort! Why not try a lemon, ginger and chilli marinade and stir-fry the strips with beansprouts and crunchy vegetables. Yes, it’s as yummy as it sounds!
Wine to Pair
A lime-fuelled, zesty Sauvignon Blanc is a great partner for this aromatic marinade. The Savvie Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a super fresh white, with a trademark combination of citrus and tropical fruit. It’s the perfect flavour match for the lemon, ginger and chilli spice of this delicious chicken dish.
Piri Piri Chicken Wings with Grüner Veltliner
Now this one’s quite naughty… chicken wings! They’re higher in fat than chicken breast and develop ridiculously tasty crispy skins when grilled or roasted. Try combining one of the nation’s favourite chicken cuts with one of the nation’s favourite sauces, and make a Piri Piri marinade for your crispy wings. Best served with a spicy tomato salsa and sweet potato wedges.
Wine to Pair
The Kurt Angerer Kies Grüner Veltliner 2018 is one of Austria’s finest white wines, and it’s a real treat! The exotic fruit and spice flavours in this Grüner Veltliner are robust enough to stand up to the strong chicken marinade. The ripe pear, lime and spicy notes on the nose of this wine blend wonderfully with the lemon, pepper and smoked paprika of the Piri Piri sauce.
Sunday Roast with Chardonnay
Is there anything better than a roast chicken dinner on a Sunday? Nope! Roasting the chicken whole is a simple, although time-consuming (but totally worth it) way of retaining all the wonderful flavours of the meat. It’s tender and moist, and can be used in many dishes in the days after your roast using the scrummy leftovers.
Wine to Pair
Roast chicken with all the trimmings pairs perfectly with an oaky, buttery Chardonnay. It has enough acidity to cut through the fattiness of the crispy roast potatoes and roasted chicken, and also has rich enough flavours to balance well with the dish. The buttery notes in the Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2016 are prominent but not overpowering, making it an ideal match for a succulent Sunday roast.
Find Out More
If you fancy delving a little deeper into the dos and don’ts of pairing with chicken, the Wine and Food area of our Wine Guide has an entire section dedicated to pairing wine with poultry.
