The Wine Ponce: Take-out chicken

Whether it’s from a rotisserie, tandoor oven, or a supermarket, chicken clucks loudly for red wine. Here are three picks for your next take-out bird.

BY: The Wine Ponce

Reif The Fool Gamay Nouveau 2012, $10.95

This is an Ontario-style Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine that is quickly fermented and bottled mere weeks after harvest. Serve with spicy churrasco.

Ponce notes: “So light and fruity you expect the Kool-Aid man to come bursting through the wall: ‘Oh, yeah!’ While it’s more juice than wine, it works well with the aggressive heat of the piri-piri sauce.”

Creekside Shiraz 2010, $15.95

For tipplers turned off by over-the-top New World Shirazes, this restrained version from Niagara is a revelation. Try with tandoori chicken.

Ponce notes: “While most Shirazes would overpower white meat, this one is just right. It has the zesty acidity to stand up to the tangy yogurt marinade, and the peppery flavours complement the smoky char from the tandoor.”

Maison Roche de Bellene Cuvée Réserve 2010, $16.95

This entry-level Pinot Noir from Nicolas Potel is about as cheap as Burgundy gets. Pair with a supermarket roast chicken.

Ponce notes: “A lovely bouquet of ripe cherries and flowers is unmistakably Burgundian. Light-bodied, with great balance. Uncork at Sunday supper and make sure mushrooms are on the menu.”