Quenelle de brochet sauce Nantua
The dumpling's creamy crayfish sauce meets a taut white Burgundy that cuts the richness and lifts the shellfish.
Our editors write the food pairings for every bottle we review. Grouped by kind of food, the Chardonnay pairings come out like this, most frequent first. Each card names the bottle, so you can read the full tasting note before you cook.
402 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with fish
Roast turbot in beurre blanc
A rich grand-cru white carries the firm white fish and its buttery sauce without being overwhelmed.
Turbot
Honed minerality and concentration frame fine white fish.
Turbot in beurre blanc
Crystalline acidity slices the butter; chalk mirrors the white fish.
Pan-seared turbot with brown butter
The wine's full body and salty minerality match firm white fish; brown butter echoes the lees-driven texture.
Dover sole meuniere
Clotted cream and pastry notes match the browned butter without smothering the fish.
361 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with oysters and shellfish
Langoustines
Racy chalk and citrus precision flatter sweet shellfish.
Lobster thermidor
Vinous power and saline length frame rich shellfish.
Chablis oysters
The wine's saline, oyster-shell minerality is the textbook match for raw oysters on ice.
Lobster bisque
Creamy mid-palate matches shellfish-cream soup.
Lobster with vanilla beurre blanc
The wine's buttery lees and stone fruit meet sweet shellfish; vanilla echoes oak ageing.
Grilled langoustines
The wine's iodine minerality and creamy texture mirror langoustine sweetness and saline brine; long-lees toast adds complexity.
249 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with cheese
Aged Comte
Nutty alpine cheese amplifies a mature Chardonnay's hazelnut and brown-butter notes.
Aged Comte and Beaufort
Oxidative walnut depth meets aged mountain cheese.
Souffle au fromage
Creamy texture mirrors the airy souffle.
Aged hard alpine cheese
Mature alpine cheeses meet the wine's depth, complexity and complementary oak spice.
Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano
Mature alpine cheese matches the wine's depth and old-vine concentration.
Comte cheese
Savoury depth meets nutty aged cheese.
234 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with chicken and white meat
Poulet de Bresse a la creme
The prized Bresse chicken in cream sauce mirrors a barrel-aged Meursault's weight and nut-and-butter palate.
Roast Bresse chicken
Curry spice and honey echo roasted poultry.
Roast capon with sage
Full-bodied white pairs with white meat; high acidity cuts butter, mineral spine balances sage.
Roast capon with sage and chestnuts
Full-bodied Chardonnay-led white pairs with poultry; honey and hazelnut notes echo the chestnut.
Roast chicken with morels
Toast and pine-nut notes echo the roast while acidity lifts the cream sauce.
Roast chicken with truffle
Toasted brioche and almond echo truffle.
114 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with pasta, pizza and grains
Asparagus risotto
Creamy lees-driven texture matches risotto; saline minerality balances asparagus.
Risotto allo zafferano
Yellow apple and patisserie cream pair with the saffron's lacquered finish; silky mousse handles the Carnaroli's starch.
Risotto alla milanese
Saffron's lacquered finish meets the wine's yellow peach and fine wood spice; rich Carnaroli starch is supported by the Chardonnay weight.
Creamy pasta
Layered texture pairs with a cream-based sauce.
Pasta or gnocchi with meat sauce
The cellar names both; the wine has the body for a meat dressed plate.
Risotto al limone
Lemon pith aromatics echo the dish; medium body holds the Carnaroli starch without overwhelming.
87 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with charcuterie and cured meats
Pate en croute
Spicy depth and structure frame a rich game pate.
Charcuterie
Delicate spice frames cured meats.
Iberian ham
Salt-cured pork and saline-lift Paraje Calificado are a classic Catalan luxury match.
Lardo di Colonnata on toast
Cured pork fat meets the wine's salty mineral.
Speck and bread plate
Tyrolean charcuterie meets the wine's body and acidity; fresh herb notes echo the speck's pepper rub.
Charcuterie board
High acidity resets the palate between slices of cured meat.
75 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with desserts and sweets
Strawberry tart
Wild-strawberry notes echo the dessert fruit.
Lemon tart with almond crust
Acacia honey and fresh almond aromatics mirror the tart's components; the soft mousse keeps the pairing buoyant.
Apricot tart or tarte tatin
Both are the producer's own dessert suggestions.
Gougeres and salted almonds
The estate positions this as an aperitif wine and salty nibbles suit the 5 gram dosage.
Strawberries with cream
The red-fruit core and creamy texture mirror the dish rather than fight it.
Strawberry mille-feuille
Wild strawberry aromatics mirror the dessert; brut dosage and high acidity keep it from cloying.
71 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with mushrooms and truffle
Risotto with white truffle
Terlaner I's creamy lees and stone fruit register meet the truffle's umami without overwhelming.
Truffle risotto
Loewengang's complexity flatters truffle without overwhelming; lees-driven texture matches risotto.
Risotto al tartufo bianco
Eight years on lees give the wine the autolytic creaminess to carry white truffle's musky aromatics over Carnaroli rice.
Risotto al tartufo bianco d'Alba
Seven years on lees deliver the autolytic creaminess to carry white truffle's musky aromatics over Carnaroli rice; classic Lombard pairing.
Truffled mushroom toast
Biscuity autolysis and red apple skin meet earthy fungal depth.
Risotto with porcini
Hazelnut-oak meets mushroom umami.
68 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with aperitifs and small plates
Aperitif amuse-bouches
Long-lees biscuity Cremant for canapes.
Aperitif
Bone-dry Blanc de Blancs cleanses before dinner.
Aperitivo bites
Zero-dosage and aperitivo are a natural pairing.
Canapes and gougeres
Ridgeview positions Bloomsbury as an aperitif wine; salty pastry meets its citrus lift.
Catalan tapas array
Crisp Gran Reserva is built for a serious tapas spread.
Aperitif on its own
Bjana positions the Brut as an opening wine; the cut of the acidity works without food.
51 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with lamb
Goat cheese
Minerality balances fresh cheese.
Goat cheese tart
Greengage and gooseberry work against fresh lactic tang.
Fresh goat cheese
The wine's acid and the cheese's lactic tang meet on level terms.
Fresh goat cheese with herbs
Sauvignon-led citrus and creamy mid-palate match fresh chèvre's tang.
Goat cheese salad with herbs
The aromatic white pairs with goat cheese tang.
Goat cheese soufflé
The wine's fresh acidity and light oak character suit baked goat cheese.
48 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with vegetables and salads
Oeuf mayonnaise
Saline lift refreshes the creamy egg.
Vegan dishes built on umami
Salinity and the faint tannin give savoury plates a backbone.
Grilled asparagus
Chalky citrus lift handles a vegetable that defeats most wines.
Salade lyonnaise
Bacon, frisee and a soft poached egg find a foil in a bright, saline white that resets the palate.
Pissaladiere
Onion-and-anchovy tart meets the wine's salty almond palate.
Green salad with aromatic herbs
The producer recommends herb salads, which the lemongrass finish echoes.
34 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with spicy and Asian dishes
Sushi and sashimi
Saline precision flatters delicate raw fish.
Ceviche
Racy acidity matches citrus cure without adding sweetness.
Sashimi
Nothing in the wine is sweet enough to fight raw fish.
Spiced dishes
The estate suggests spiced plates, matching the cuvee's spice note.
Sushi
Bright citrus suits raw fish and rice.
Sushi nigiri
Low alcohol and a chalky finish keep the focus on delicate raw fish; saline minerality echoes the rice vinegar.
30 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with duck and goose
Duck a l'orange
Blood-orange and cherry notes meet the duck and its citrus glaze.
Duck breast
Silky red fruit and spice meet the duck.
Duck breast with cherry reduction
Pinot-driven red fruits echo the cherry glaze; creamy mid-palate holds up to the duck fat.
Foie gras with brioche
Honey and brioche aromatics mirror the toast; graphite minerality cuts through the rich liver.
Foie gras
Classic Sauternes-style match of richness against richness.
Foie gras toasts
Named by Montbourgeau on this wine's serving card.
26 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with beef and red meat
Roast veal with sage butter
Full body and high acidity suit white meat; sage echoes light toast notes from oak.
Stinco di vitello
Slow-braised veal shank handles the wine's tea-tannin grip; saline finish lifts the pan jus.
Veal sweetbreads
Patisserie cream and yellow apple notes pair with the offal's lactic richness; full body holds up to a butter pan sauce.
Pan-seared veal with sage
Stoan's stone fruit and spice register flatter white meat; oak ageing matches the sage butter.
Roast veal with morels
Cream and woodland flavours suit a structured white Burgundy.
Veal in cream sauce
Weight and acidity cut the cream.
9 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with pork
Roast pork with apple
The wine's baked apple and orchard fruit mirror the dish; high acidity cuts the fat.
Stinco di maiale
Slow-braised pork shank meets the wine's tea-tannin grip; saline finish refreshes between bites.
Roast pork or pork shank
Benedetic name pork roasts; the wine's warmth and acidity handle the fat.
Porchetta
A Tinwood suggestion, the bubbles cutting roast pork fat.
Schnitzel with lemon
Acid cuts breaded veal richness.
Roast pork loin with apple
The tropical fruit and oak notes sit beside sweet roast pork.
8 Chardonnay pairings
Chardonnay with game
Roast partridge
Round depth and mint frame game birds.
Roast pheasant
Smoky, savoury depth frames game birds.
Roast pheasant with crisp skin
Movia names poultry and pheasant; the honeyed fruit answers the rendered skin.
Barbecued quail
Char and game meat suit a Pinot-dominant, full-bodied rose.
Duck or pheasant
Benedetic name wild poultry; full body and acidity both have a role.
Rabbit with curry
A producer suggestion; the freshness balances the curry spice.
Taste it with the food in Franciacorta
Food and wine tastings you can book in Franciacorta, the region with the most Chardonnay bottles on our pages that sells them.
From Bergamo: Winery Tour in Franciacorta with Lunch
Savor a traditional lunch in a restaurant, visit an iconic Franciacorta winery to try some famous sparkling wines, and take scenic tour of Franciacorta and Lake Iseo o...
Wine Tour and Tasting of Lugana Wines near Sirmione
This experience offers an authentic introduction to the wines of Lake Garda in a welcoming, family-run winery. Unlike larger commercial wineries, guests enjoy a more p...
Tasting with winery visit in the heart of Franciacorta
Live an authentic experience in the heart of Franciacorta, in a family-run winery where tradition, passion and attention to detail meet. During the visit you will di...
Wine tastings and winery visits in Franciacorta (10) · Cooking classes in Franciacorta (9) · Food tours in Franciacorta (5) · Wine tours and day trips in Franciacorta (8) · All wine and food experiences
Where the bottles come from
Chardonnay pairings by region
- Franciacorta (137 bottles), Franciacorta food pairing
- Champagne (90 bottles), Champagne food pairing
- Burgundy (79 bottles), Burgundy food pairing
- Sussex (59 bottles), Sussex food pairing
- Jura (37 bottles), Jura food pairing
- Penedes (26 bottles), Penedes food pairing
- Brda (23 bottles), Brda food pairing
- Languedoc (20 bottles), Languedoc food pairing
- Baden (14 bottles), Baden food pairing
- Alto Adige (13 bottles), Alto Adige food pairing
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia (13 bottles), Friuli-Venezia Giulia food pairing
- Burgenland (11 bottles), Burgenland food pairing
- Rheinhessen (10 bottles), Rheinhessen food pairing
- Sicily (10 bottles), Sicily food pairing
- Provence (8 bottles), Provence food pairing
- Loire Valley (7 bottles), Loire Valley food pairing
- Beaujolais (6 bottles), Beaujolais food pairing
- Istria (6 bottles), Istria food pairing
- Pfalz (6 bottles), Pfalz food pairing
- Nemea (5 bottles), Nemea food pairing
- Tuscany (5 bottles), Tuscany food pairing
- Eger (4 bottles), Eger food pairing
- Franken (4 bottles), Franken food pairing
- Veneto (4 bottles), Veneto food pairing
- Umbria (3 bottles), Umbria food pairing
- Alentejo (2 bottles), Alentejo food pairing
- Alsace (2 bottles), Alsace food pairing
- Naoussa (2 bottles), Naoussa food pairing
- Rheingau (2 bottles), Rheingau food pairing
- Valais (2 bottles), Valais food pairing
- Bierzo (1 bottle), Bierzo food pairing
- Kakheti (1 bottle), Kakheti food pairing
- Rioja (1 bottle), Rioja food pairing
Chardonnay food pairing, FAQ
What food goes with Chardonnay?
Across the 613 Chardonnay bottles on Cork & Curve, the dishes our editors pair most often are fish, shellfish and cheese. For example, our page for Montrachet Grand Cru from Burgundy suggests "Quenelle de brochet sauce Nantua": The dumpling's creamy crayfish sauce meets a taut white Burgundy that cuts the richness and lifts the shellfish.
What cheese goes with Chardonnay?
Cheeses our editors pair with Chardonnay bottles include Aged Comte, Aged Comte and Beaufort and Souffle au fromage.
What meat goes with Chardonnay?
Chicken and white meat is the pairing that comes up most among meats for Chardonnay: Poulet de Bresse a la creme, Roast Bresse chicken and Roast capon with sage are among the dishes on our Chardonnay bottle pages.