Red or white wine with roast chicken? For me, it’s white every time. Chicken is a relatively delicate meat and if you’re roasting the bird quite plainly, ie with just a little butter and perhaps a squeeze of lemon, its mild flavour is overwhelmed by the rich red berries and tannins of a red. The right white, on the other hand, chimes in with the buttery skin, citrus squeeze and almost creamy texture of a properly cooked chook.

So which white, then? Very crisp, tangy styles like sauvignon blanc and soave or gavi have high acidity which isn’t quite right. You need a riper, more rounded, all round bigger white wine to take on the bird. Step forward chardonnay. Known for its generous fruitiness and softer edges, chardonnay from around the world is definitely the best match I’ve found for this classic dish.  

It might take the form of a subtle and white Burgundy (and that includes Chablis to the north of the region), or it might be a brightly fruity version from Chile, Australia or New Zealand. But chardonnay’s orange and peach flavours, and a certain buttery hint to the wine, really suit roast chicken, and a lot of the typical things that go with it, like roast potatoes, bread sauce and vegetables in white sauce (especially leeks).

A word on oak though. Chardonnays that have seen a lot of oak ageing are not as good in this case as those with none or a subtle hint. Save heavily oaked chardonnay for smoked or char-grilled, barbecued chicken. I’ve selected four below that have the right balance for the classic roast bird plus one that isn’t made from chardonnay at all, as a decent alternative for those that just don’t do this (sometimes maligned) grape.