Handy Tip While pairing wine with chicken, the simple rule is to pair it with the sauce and ingredients used in its preparation, rather than with the chicken.

"It needs only a good bottle of wine for a roast chicken to be transformed into a banquet." - Gerald Asher, The Pleasures of Wine. Roasted chicken pairs wonderfully with full-bodied red, a fruity rose, or a dry white wine. You need a wine that will complement the roast marinade, and not overpower it. Its creamy, smooth texture, and lovely freshness make it the perfect candidate to have with butter-roasted chicken. It's best to stick to the unoaked or lightly oaked versions of Chardonnay because the oaked version can be too overpowering. You can blindly pair an unoaked Chardonnay with roast chicken. There are exceptions to the rule; red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. Pinot Noir is one such exception. This light red wine is a classic match because it's not heavy, and unlike a Cabernet Sauvignon, doesn't have high tannic content. Its acidity and earthy flavor complements the flavors of a roasted chicken very well. This apricot and peach-scented white wine pairs well with roasts stuffed with mildly spicy stuffing. Viognier is also a perfect choice if your chicken has been butter-roasted with lemon and a herb. The citrus overtones of this wine will complement almost any marinade used on the roasted chicken. Moreover, the sweetness of this wine makes it the perfect wine to complement a spiced chicken roast.

Grilling chars the meat and adds a certain smoky flavor to it. For such chicken preparations, mild white wines will seem very bland. You need something stronger and acidic to match their flavor. Oaked Chardonnay is perfect for grilled chicken, because its strong oak flavor cuts down the bitterness from the charred, smoked meat. This mild red wine goes well with grilled chicken as well. Since this wine is not very mild or very strong, it complements the smoked flavor of grilled chicken, without overwhelming the flavors of the dish. It also goes well with herb-coated grilled chicken. However, if the grilled chicken is spiced, it's best not to use this wine. This fruity red wine is also a great option for grilled chicken, because its spicy, acidic character balances the smokey flavors well. High in alcohol content, this wine also goes well with barbecued chicken. This high acid wine pairs well with chicken grilled in a fresh, herb sauce. Its herbaceous character helps complement sauces and marinades with herbs. Sauvignon Blanc goes well with lemon and thyme grilled chicken.

Pairing wine with spicy dishes can be a challenging task. Spicy sauces and marinades require wines with higher tannic content to cut down the spice. The wine shouldn't be overshadowed by the spice in the dish. Moreover, the wine chosen should be of lower alcoholic content, because the more the alcoholic content, the more burning sensation your palate will experience. Thus, stick to the light-bodied, sweeter wines. This off-dry white wine has a light sweetness to it, and its low alcoholic content cuts down the heat from the dish. It pairs well with dishes, like spicy chicken wings, barbecued chicken, etc. If you're preparing an Asian dish like sweet and sour chicken, then again Riesling is perfect. The bell peppers and onions in the dish will bring out the fruitiness of the wine even further. This fruity wine is a perfect accompaniment for spicy chicken dishes. It doesn't compete with the dish, instead brings out all the flavors of the dish. Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for spicy Mexican and Southwestern dishes. This is because its herbaceous character blends well with the lime and cilantro in Mexican dishes. This refreshing, aromatic white wine has a rich, sweet, and spicy overtone to it, and pairs well with spicy chicken dishes, like hot chicken drumsticks, etc. Pinot Gris also goes well with Thai green chicken curries, Indian gravies, etc. Its slightly sweet opulence and freshness complement the spiciness of the dishes. This food-friendly wine pairs well with Asian dishes that contain soy sauce and chilies. Its fruity, acidic, and spicy flavors combine very well with the warm, spicy, saucy flavor of Indian, Thai, and Chinese dishes. Moreover, its sweetness also pairs well with the spiciness of barbecued chicken and spicy chicken wings.