Wine Review: the best wines to serve with chicken Whenever I'm asked which wines go with chicken, the words 'piece of string' and 'how long' arise. There must be a chicken dish for every bottle under the sun, from Chinese lemon chicken (sweetish, light rieslings), to coq au vin (peppery, big red rhônes), to smoked chicken (oaky chardonnays) to mild curried chicken (soft rosé or peachy viognier). Even the strongest meat from a wide-roamin', muscular and happy bird won't overwhelm a wine in the way gamey pheasant might, so we are free to pick a drink that matches all the other ingredients in the dish. I say 'drink' deliberately, as cider, perry, some beers, and apple, pear or elderflower softies can suit certain chicken recipes just as well as wine. You could match Diana Henry's Japanese chicken with sake; serve it cool, not warm, in this instance, better to show off that cold cucumber. A restrained, elegant, unoaked white-grape wine such as picpoul, gavi or vermentino would be another option. Harissa chicken with couscous and summer vegetables needs fruitier, more grassy, zingy notes. Sauvignon blanc in particular will work with all those vegetables and the heat of the harissa. Chile provides the right style - bright and juicy, but not as ripe and full-on as New Zealand's version. The spatchcocked poussins with shallot dressing shouts out for Alsace; the slightly savoury whites of the region suit onions and shallots really well, and I'm going for an appley Alsace riesling. Or dry cider, because that goes with shallots too. You see? Plenty of options to pluck from. La Moneda Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2012 Maule Valley, Chile (Asda, £7) A Chilean offering that's mouthwatering and vivaciously fruity with gooseberry and citrus, but well balanced and eminently food-friendly, especially with spicy chicken. Picpoul de Pinet 2012 Coteaux du Languedoc, France (Marks & Spencer, £8.49) A light, delicately flavoured picpoul with fresh notes of grapefruit and lemon zest, lovely with Diana's Japanese chicken or as a summer apéritif. Sawanotsuru Sake Japan (Waitrose, £10.50 for 720ml) This softly scented, gently sweet and vanilla-toned sake makes another apt match with the gingered chicken and cucumber, though do serve it chilled. TIPPLE TIP the perkiest pink... Famille Negrel 2012, Sainte Victoire, Côtes de Provence is a fine summer pink wine with notes of redcurrant and cherry and a refreshing lemon-twist finish. It's enough to make sugary, cheap rosé blush. Majestic, £9.99 or £8.99 when you buy two or more until 2 September