Eggs benedict

Eggs benedict

Assuming poached eggs and ham on a toasted muffin, covered in hollandaise.

Eggs benedict is rich with egg yolk and buttery hollandaise, with salt from the ham. Egg coats the palate and dulls most wines, so bubbles and high acidity work best to cut the richness. Tannic reds turn metallic against egg, and heavily oaked whites make the butter feel heavier.

Pairs Perfectly. Champagne Brut NV, France. Fine bubbles, lemon and a toasty, bready note that mirrors the muffin. The acidity cuts straight through hollandaise and the bubbles clear the egg from the palate.

Pairs Well. Crémant de Bourgogne, France. Mostly Chardonnay, with crisp apple and lemon, and made the same way as Champagne. It is modestly priced.

Pairs Well. Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy. Rounder, with ripe apple and almond, soft enough for buttery sauce and fresh enough for ham.

Worth Seeking Out

Savagnin from the Jura, France, in the fresh, topped up style. Dry, nutty and mineral, a still white that sits unusually well with eggs.

Avoid

Tannic reds and heavily oaked whites. Tannin turns metallic against egg, and oak adds weight to a rich sauce.

Failing That

A Prosecco, Veneto, Italy.

If All Else Fails

Vermentino, Sardinia.

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