Pairing Wine With Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is a delicious dish that is thought to belong to the meeting of Italian and American cuisine. In fact, a different version of Chicken Piccata is usually made in Italy but using veal. This receipt is as tasty as it is simple to make! It’s a breaded pan-fried Chicken made using Chicken breasts, cooked into a butter, lemon and caper sauce finished with parsley (or not). To find the right wine to pair with, we have to put into consideration the ingredients of this easy recipe, as they have to be balanced with the wine to create an equilibrium of flavors in our mouth.

The predominant flavor here is the butter, which gives our dish a bold creamy texture, balanced out with the lemon, which brings us acidity. Dry white wines with hints of butter, such as oaky Chardonnay, would add buttery notes and acidity, complementing the dish. Other pairings would be a red with medium body and medium-high level of tannins, so these don’t overwhelm the aromas of the Chicken Piccata, such as a Sangiovese. Moreover, using a red wine with high levels of acidity and tannins, is useful when trying to cut the softness of the buttery sauce.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Chicken Piccata

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry
Acidity	High
Tannins	Medium to High
Body	Medium to full Bodied White, Medium Body Reds
Tasting Notes	Citrus fruits, Apple, Toasty, Buttery, Cream, Red Fruits, Black Fruits, Herbal

Best Red Wine To Drink With Chicken Piccata

When pairing the wine with Chicken Piccata, you should bear in mind that it is a dish that needs a wine with some structure to stand out in front of the sauce and the preparation. Saying that, we can opt for a medium body red, to not overwhelm our dish, but with high levels of acidity and tannins, to create a balance, enhancing the fresh characteristics of the dish. Low tannins or low acidity would mean to flatten the experience.

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is the most planted grape variety in Italy. From North to South, Sangiovese is capable of making structured wines with high levels of acidity with different aromas and characteristics, depending on where it grows. Usually it has pronounced aromas of red fruits and herbs, within a balsamic background and a hint of vegetal notes.

Nebbiolo

The grape variety that gave birth to the greatest Italian wine, Barolo. A young Nebbiolo has high acidity, medium body and delicate flavors of roses and little red fruits; with age then it develops hearty and leathery characteristics. Opt for a young Nebbiolo, instead of a mature one. The high acidity and tannins will help us to balance the greasiness of the butter, and enhance the fresh lemon side.

Best White Wine To Drink With Chicken Piccata

A white wine works fantastic with Chicken Piccata. Choosing white wines that undergo a short oak aging can be beneficial to pair with the buttery notes of the preparation. Attention has to be put to not choose a wine with predominantly buttery flavors though: this could make our experience heavier and the buttery notes could overwhelm the other components without the right freshness levels.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay comes in a range of flavors and styles, depending on where it is grown. In this case, as stated before. We choose a Chardonnay that has undergone a period of aging in oak. Oak gives the wine mouthfeel and buttery aromas, but maintaining a medium-high level of acidity. That’s exactly what we need to create a nice dining experience.

Pinot Blanc

Flavors and aromas of pear, stone fruit in general and citrus fruits, with a usually medium-high acidity. Generally speaking, Pinot Blanc (or Pinot Bianco) can enhance the freshness of the preparation, thanks to its lemon zest notes that combine with the lemon of the dish.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc has been chosen thanks to its natural herbal notes aromas and high acidity.

In fact, gooseberry and cut grass flavors combine very well with the herbal parts of the Chicken Piccata, especially when it is seasoned with parsley, creating an extraordinary balance.