The best white wine with Roast Chicken is an oaked Chardonnay or a rich Viognier. For red wine, a light and fruity Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Villages are excellent with Chicken. If you are craving some variety, sparkling wines like Champagne, Cava and Prosecco, along with Rosé are wonderful pairings with the sweet and succulent flavours of roasted Chicken.
The best wine to pair with Roast Chicken depends on what sides accompany your Chicken. For example, a rich chardonnay is fantastic with a simple Roast Chicken from Costco or the ready-to-eat isle of your local supermarket. Chardonnay will also be excellent with Roast Chicken in a creamy sauce. White wines that aren’t as rich, such as, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Soave are perfectly acceptable with Roast Chicken, however, the combination won’t wow you as Chardonnay will.
Meanwhile, with Roast Chicken accompanied by a rich gravy, a medium-bodied and food-friendly red wine, such as Côtes du Rhône, makes for a better match as the gravy is the dominant flavour. In this blog, I will focus more on a simple and juicy style of Roasted Chicken where the Chicken is the star of the show.
Best Wine with Roast Chicken
Chardonnay & Roast Chicken Pairing
A rich Chardonnay featuring creamy notes of butter, smoke and vanilla is my favourite pairing with Roast Chicken. I enjoy how the toasty flavours of Chardonnay sashay with the crispy and salty Chicken skin. Meanwhile, Chardonnay delivers silky flavours of peach, pear, mango and apple that liven up the subtle white meat flavours.
You don’t want a Chardonnay that is too oaked and over the top. A simple Chardonnay from a reputable winery that you are comfortable with will do the job. Kendall-Jackson, Peller Estates, Mer Soleil, Cono Sur, Penfolds and Grgich Hills are all wineries that spring to mind that produce excellent Chardonnay.
To raise the stakes of your Roast Chicken pairing, you might want to try a White Burgundy from France. Burgundy uses Chardonnay grapes to create their white wine and over the centuries they have learned to produce balanced white wines that are amazing with food. The sky is the limit with how much you can spend on Burgundy. With Roast Chicken, I wouldn’t go too crazy. A Villages level White Burgundy should hit the sweet spot between budget and enjoyment.
Chardonnay just won’t go well with Roasted Chicken, you’ll also find an amazing wine pairing with Chicken Pot Pie, Fettuccini Alfredo, and Butter Chicken.
Pinot Noir & Roast Chicken Pairing
Pinot Noir is a light and fruity red wine featuring velvety flavours of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. Pinot Noir is also known for having notes of dark chocolate, earth, mushroom and smoke.
The smoky and earthy flavours of Pinot Noir are exceptional with the Roasted Chicken skin. Meanwhile, the fruitier side of Pinot Noir keeps you refreshed and brings a bit of fun to the savoury but tender chicken flavours.
Good Pinot Noir is expensive as it is a challenging wine to make well. If you are looking for a wine under $20, I would not suggest a Pinot Noir and would instead recommend a Beaujolais Villages which I have written about below. If, however, Roast Chicken is your favourite meal, a well-produced bottle from a reputable winery, such as Craggy Range, Schubert, Villa Maria, La Crema, Iron Horse, Kistler, Archery Summit, Brick House or Ponzi, is so worth it!
Red Burgundy, which is Pinot Noir from France, is another highly recommended pairing if you love Roast Chicken. I would pair Red Burgundy with a simple roast of Chicken served with its own juices or with mushrooms. Burgundy has a complexity in that it delivers earthier flavours that tease your tongue. However, Red Burgundy is bright with a refreshing red fruit quality that won’t overpower the subtle poultry flavours.
Beaujolais Villages & Roast Chicken Pairing
When pairing red wine with Roasted Chicken, you want something light-bodied, fruity and high in acid. A Beaujolais Villages hits all of these notes and delivers juicy flavours of cherry, raspberry, plum and strawberry. Meanwhile, the earthy flavours of Beaujolais, such as mushroom, mineral and black pepper, are exceptional with any spices or other seasonings added to your Roast Chicken.
Acidity is essential when pairing wine with Chicken as acidity plays well with the fatty flavours found in the crispy chicken skin. Acidity also adds some zestiness, which amplifies the tender Chicken meat flavours.
Viognier & Roast Chicken Pairing
Viognier is a rich and silky white wine featuring aromatic flavours of apricot, peach, tropical fruit, flowers, citrus, pear and orange rind that are delicious with the mild chicken flavours. The soft and silky texture of Viognier complements the tender texture of your Roast Chicken, while the bold fruitier flavours provide a refreshing contrast, especially if your Roast Chicken is overcooked and dry.
Viognier also has a spicy ginger and nutmeg element that will taste right at home with any seasonings added to your Roast Chicken.
Rosé & Roast Chicken Pairing
Rosé is perfect for Roast Chicken served at lunch or at a large banquet, such as a bridal shower or a spring luncheon. If there are men in attendance, I would ensure you’d have another wine pairing option, as many men in North America will not drink Rosé as the wine is often marketed as being sweet or girly.
Rosé, with its pink colour, looks sweet, however it’s often quite dry. Featuring crisp flavours of cherry, raspberry and strawberry, Rosé is quite refreshing when paired with Roast Chicken. Medium in body, Rosé won’t overwhelm the Chicken, but rather the high-acidity of Rosé will bring out all the meat’s subtle flavour.
Rosé is also a bit herbal and spicy. Depending on where the Rosé was produced, sometimes you’ll catch a fleeting whiff of white pepper or mineral which adds even more flavour to your meal.