La Ruchotte’s definitive guide to pairing wine with chicken & poultry

The best wine to pair with chicken & poultry

All true foodies must admit that food and wine pairings are key to a successful meal. If the wine selection is not made with careful consideration, it can radically change the taste of a dish and vice versa. La Ferme de La Ruchotte’s highly-acclaimed alternative chef, Frédéric Ménager, is a wine lover that specializes in raising Burgundian chickens and other rare breeds of heritage poultry, which he raises with the utmost care to ensure only the finest food is served in his restaurant located in Bligny-sur-Ouche, France.

Soïzic Moutel: Ferme de La Ruchotte’s expert sommelier

Discover the La Ruchotte carving knife

A flock of more than 1,500 birds

If we had to sum up the Ferme de la Ruchotte® in a few words, we would say that it is a "paradise for poultry" on earth - Muscovy duck, Barbezieux, Ardennes Red turkeys as well as Gauloise Dorée and Coucou de Rennes chickens! The Ferme de La Ruchotte’s® passion for poultry runs so deep that we have tasked ourselves bring certain heritage breeds of livestock back from the brink of extinction! Our organic and sustainable farm is home to over 1,500 feathered friends! Many of France’s most illustrious gourmet restaurants get their poultry from the Ferme de La Ruchotte®, as it is reputable for having some of the most delectable, all around exceptional quality poultry.

A wine selection featuring more than 2,000 bottles from 350 estates

La Ruchotte’s® wine selection is characterized by the breadth and depth of its offerings. One glance at our wine list and you will know that our passion for wine might even outweigh our passion for poultry! Each bottle tells a distinctive story of its origins – the soil, the vintage, the grape, the winemaker - and we are proud to carefully curate wine pairings that acknowledge these distinguishing characteristics with each of flavor profile present in our Chef’s creations. Our sommelier, Soïzic Moutel, honed his skills at Bernard Loiseau and Charlemagne, among other prestigious restaurants. This young 25-year-old from Brittany quickly became one of the central pillars of Frédéric Ménager’s team.

Explore La Ruchotte’s wine selection

The basics: How to choose a good wine to accompany your poultry

Making a selection according to the poultry’s flesh

The perfect wine pairing changes depending on whether you are preparing a chicken, turkey, capon, duck or guinea fowl and whether the bird is roasted or cooked in sauce. First of all, few may realize that the flesh of different fowl has different flavors. Some can have a very strong gamey taste whereas others are more subtly perfumed. The flesh also plays a role in the overall texture, depending on how tender it is. It will be more or less dry or soft, depending on how it is cooked and the cut of meat. For example, a fillet is generally drier than a thigh and will pair well with a juicier wine. However, some wines go quite well with all types of poultry.

Burgundy Grands Crus: essential for a gourmet getaway in the region and for pairing with poultry

In France, the general consensus concerning which wine pairs best with poultry is that a Burgundy wine pairs best. In France, a wine can be given a label called AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a specific geographical area known as Terroir. While wines from other appellations can be served with poultry, Burgundy wines are at the top of the wine pairing list. Red wine is often the first choice for pairing with poultry, however, some white wines are a match made in heaven when it comes to certain fowl, especially depending on how they are cooked.

Red, white or rosé: the best wines to pair with chicken and other poultry

The first rule of thumb for ensuring a happy "marriage of poultry and wine," is to avoid very young wines that are often high in tannins and acidity. The following lists the best wines to pair with a chicken, turkey, poularde and other poultry, including all grape varietals and appellations, no matter the cooking method:

The main red wines to serve with chicken and other poultry

  • Bourgogne Pinot Noir
  • Hautes Côtes de Beaune
  • Nuits-Saint-Georges
  • Marsannay
  • Chambolle-Musigny
  • Vosne-Romanée
  • Pommard
  • Volnay
  • Hautes Côtes de Nuits
  • Chassagne-Montrachet

More or less sweet white wines to serve preferably with roast chicken

  • Mâcon
  • Bourgogne Chardonnay
  • Auxey-Duresses
  • Morey-Saint-Denis
  • Ladoix
  • Saint-Romain
  • Pernand-Vergellesses
  • Chablis

What wine to serve depending on how the poultry is cooked

Essentially, it is important to remember that with poultry, a red Burgundy wine is always satisfactory. However, depending on how the poultry is cooked, a different wine can be just as delicious.

If it is roasted

Roasted poultry pairs well with a red wine that is light, fruity, and delicate:

  • Chinon
  • Saumur
  • Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil
  • Pinot Noir d’Alsace
  • Syrah
  • Saint-Joseph
  • Mâcon
  • Mondeuse de Savoie
  • Saint-Amour

If it is cooked in sauce

  • Côtes de Gascogne
  • Ploussard du Jura
  • Bordeaux
  • Juliénas
  • Brouilly
  • Morgon

If the sauce has a cream base, a dry white wine is essential: Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vin d’Arbois, Vin Jaune, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. If the sauce in which the poultry is cooked is spicy, a Saint-Émilion produces a pleasant mouth feel. Red wines should be avoided if the sauce is sweet and savory, in this case you should select an aromatic and delicate white wine, such as Vouvray de Loire, Pessac-Léognan, Gewurztraminer or Haut-Brion.

Your gourmet getaway in Burgundy, France

La Ruchotte’s wine selection® has been carefully curated to facilitate the perfect pairing with each of the different poultry dishes our chef and farmer creates. We are open for lunch, from Wednesday to Sunday - to reserve a table, you can use our reservation form or call +33 3 80 20 04 79. Follow us on social media to stay in-the-know about La Ruchotte’s® upcoming events!

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Heritage Chicken Breeds
20 years of know-how!

La Ferme de la Ruchotte is pleased to announce the launch of the reservation of its first cutting knife. A knife designed and studied based on more than 20 years of cooking expertise, exceptional grip and flawless sharpness. Frédéric Ménager has put all his know-how into the development of this kitchen “instrument” like no other. Many steps were necessary to achieve a result that fully met Frédéric Ménager’s expectations!

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Heritage Chicken Breeds
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