A roast chicken with a heavy spice mix, like the one we are going to be making with Chef Whitney, calls for a floral, robust white with medium acidity, or a light to medium bodied red with some red fruits and spices. Even better – a classic sparkling rosé or champagne blanc de blancs would be a smashing pairing with this dish! A few of our favorite wines to pair with the chicken dinner:

• Mobillon Champagne Blancs de Blancs – I visited this wine maker’s tiny little home, which is also their vineyard and tasting room. Since they are small, their wines are a work of art but have yet to truly be discovered. If you can get your hands on a bottle of this, dive right in!
• Viognier from the Rhone Region/Languedoc-Roussillon, France – Floral, fresh, not as buttery as a chardonnay but also not as green and steel heavy as sauvignon blanc. Perfect for chicken and a sweet potato mash!
• Nebbiolo from Piedmont: You’ll get a lot of fruit, earth and spice with this wine. Barolo is the famous region of Piedmont, but you can’t go wrong with a lot of Nebbiolo wines. It’s a go-to for me!
• Gigondas, or another Rhone Red Blend – Head into the barn and smell the herbs growing and the chickens chirping with this wine. You’ll get beautiful red fruit, some bigger bodied black fruits, and a lot of herbs. It would no doubt be a hit!