Best Value
Winesmiths Premium Chardonnay 2000ml
SA
$7.94per 750ml equivalent
$127.00 for 6 × 2L
Cellars
Food & wine pairing
Best wine with roast chicken
The most wine-friendly dinner there is: Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
How are you cooking it?
Chardonnay
Modern Aussie Chardonnay has the weight for roast chicken without the heavy oak of old.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Rhythm and Rhyme Chardonnay NV
Riverland, SA
$11.00per bottle
$132.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Angove Long Row Chardonnay 2024
Riverland, SA
$11.17per bottle
$134.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Smith's Lane Estate Chardonnay 2023
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Pinot Noir
The red that works with chicken. Silky, earthy and light enough not to swamp it.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Plus & Minus Pinot Noir NV
SA
$13.67per bottle
$164.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Pete's Pure Pinot Noir 2025
Murray Darling, NSW
$13.67per bottle
$164.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Deakin Estate Pinot Noir 2025
South East Australia
$13.83per bottle
$83.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Tempus Two Silver Series Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV
South Eastern Australia
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Pinot Gris & Grigio
Easy and textural. Great with lemon and herb chicken or a chicken schnitzel.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Angove Long Row Pinot Grigio 2024
Riverland, SA
$11.17per bottle
$134.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Smith's Lane Estate Pinot Grigio 2025
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Tempus Two Silver Series Pinot Gris 2025
South Eastern Australia
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Reschke R-Series Pinot Gris 2025
Limestone Coast, SA
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Gamay
Bright, juicy and best served a little cool. A fun alternative to Pinot.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Debussy Reverie Gamay 2024
Languedoc, France
$20.08per bottle
$241.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Fringe Societe Gamay 2025
South West France
$23.83per bottle
$143.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Aylesbury Estate Q05 Gamay 2023
Ferguson Valley, SA
$23.83per bottle
$286.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Petits Detours Gamay 2025
Languedoc, France
$24.58per bottle
$295.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Tip
Match the wine to the sauce: lemon and herbs suit whites, mushrooms and gravy suit Pinot Noir.
Best avoided
Big, tannic reds. They make chicken taste dry.
About roast chicken and wine
Today’s picks run from $7.94 to $24.58 a bottle, chosen for value from 1,398 matching wines across the Australian retailers we compare. Six-packs and dozens are shown as a price per bottle.
Questions
What wine goes best with roast chicken?
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris & Grigio are the best matches for roast chicken. Modern Aussie Chardonnay has the weight for roast chicken without the heavy oak of old.
What’s a good cheap wine with roast chicken?
Winesmiths Premium Chardonnay 2000ml is the cheapest of today’s picks at $7.94 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.
What wine should I avoid with roast chicken?
Big, tannic reds. They make chicken taste dry.
