Foie Gras

Foie Gras

Foie gras is the richest thing on the table, a dense, fat-laden liver that floods the palate, so the wine needs sweetness to balance it and bright acidity to cut clean through the fat. Botrytis sweet wine is the classic answer.

Pairs Perfectly

A Sauternes or Barsac, Bordeaux, France. The honeyed, apricot weight of botrytis matches the liver while the acidity scours the fat away between mouthfuls; a Monbazillac from Bergerac gives the same effect for far less.

Pairs Well

A Tokaji Aszu, Hungary. Its fierce balance of acid and sugar is a thrilling foil to the richness.

A Riesling Beerenauslese, Germany. Feather-light in body for all its sweetness, with the acidity to keep the liver fresh on the palate.

Avoid

Dry reds and lean dry whites, which the fat simply flattens.

A mature Sauternes, with its deeper marmalade and nutty development, meets foie gras at a level a young bottle cannot.

Served as a starter before a structured red main, a sweet wine will dull what follows — keep it to the foie gras alone, or pour a dry Alsace Pinot Gris instead.

Failing That

A Moscato d'Asti, Italy.

If All Else Fails

Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany.

Want to be able to craft answers like this? The Vinealto Wine Coach takes you from the basics to advanced.