Chicken Piccata: An Italian Classic
Piccata is a classic Italian dish, usually made from veal or chicken. It’s a simple dish to make at home and requires minimal grocery shopping. In Italy, it’s also called “Pichotta,” which means “pounded flat” because that’s how the meat is prepared. If it’s a chicken you’re working with, you want to use boneless breast meat. The breast part is the best part; it’s got the right tenderness to complement the flavors of the dish.
You can pound the meat or cut it into thinner slices for a higher sauce-absorption ratio. To make piccata, the meat is first covered in flour. Then, a seasoning of cayenne, salt, and pepper is added. Finally, the meat is roasted in a frying pan or skillet on medium heat till it turns light brown. The Piccata is then served in a sauce made from butter, lemon juice, capers, and a white wine reduction.
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(4.6 / 5) What Wines Pair Well With Chicken Piccata?
To pair the perfect wine with your food, you need to pay close attention to the dominant flavors of your dish. Wine should help bring out the flavors, complement the dish, or refresh the palate. Enhancing flavor needs to be a motive for adding the wine as an accompaniment to the meal. Otherwise, it can either become burdensome to finish or, in some cases, even ruin your dish. Chicken piccata is a rich, buttery dish with a salty element that comes from the capers.
The lemon in the sauce balances the richness of the cream with tartness, and the garlic adds some heat to it. That is why pairing the best white wine with chicken piccata can truly bring out the vibrancy of this dish and accentuate its intensity. Here are some of the features of a wine that would make a good chicken piccata wine pairing. High acidity white wines are known to go well with salty dishes. If the recipe calls for a particular white wine, the same wine would also make a good accompaniment for the dish. Because of the juiciness of the sauce and tenderness of the meat, a dry wine would be a better option.
Best White Wines With Chicken Piccata
Louis Latour Macon-Lugny
- Winery — Louis Latour
- Country/Region — France, Bourgogne, Mâconnais, Mâcon, Mâcon-Lugny
- Type — French Chardonnay
- Aroma — Pineapple, Apricot, Apples
- Grapes — Chardonnay
- Taste — Apple, Honey, Grapefruit, Butter, Vanilla
- Alcohol Content — 13%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Chicken Piccata, Soaked Meats, Seafood Dishes
Most residents of France do not need to look any further for a delicious glass of chardonnay. France’s pure and untampered biodiversity imparts the terroir’s essence and character to all their produce. This also allows them to grow all kinds of wines, ranging from high-altitude to tropical varietals. It’s no surprise then that France is regarded as the world leader not only in wines but also in cuisines.
This stunning white wine by Loui Latour incorporates the Mâcon region’s limestone-rich soil to produce a buttery smooth 100% Chardonnay. It has amazing drinkability, smells like apricots and peaches, and has a rich citrusy flavor that is balanced with some oaky notes on the palate. It pairs well with almost any cuisine and is the quintessential choice for a white wine with a dish like chicken piccata or chicken parmesan. The vineyards for Louis Latour’s Macon-Lugny are located in the sunny fields of Southern Burgundy in Mâcon. This warm, humid climate gives the advantage of the vines ripening sooner. Remember to serve it chilled at 55℉–65℉.
Frei Brothers Chardonnay
- Winery — Frei Brothers
- Country/Region — United States, California, North Coast, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
- Type — Californian Chardonnay
- Aroma — Pear, Peach, Vanilla, Spice
- Grapes — Chardonnay
- Taste — Green Apple, Butter, Oak, Butterscotch, Cream
- Alcohol Content — 13.8%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Chicken Piccata, Roasted Salmon, Salad
Here’s another interesting chardonnay that has made an ideal Chicken Piccata wine match. The Frei Brothers Chardonnay is one of Sonoma County’s most renowned white wines, thanks to its lustrous mouthfeel and unique flavor profile. On the nose, there’s a heady mix of peach, vanilla, and earthy spices. It is complemented by flavors of butterscotch, apple pie, and orange zest, with finishing notes of butter and toast. The flavors are well structured in this full-bodied wine with medium-long tannins. To soften the texture and deepen the flavors, Frei Brothers make the wine undergo a secondary malolactic fermentation. The result is a buttery soft mouthfeel and silky finish that lasts long and leaves you with a refreshed palate, perfect for chicken piccata.
California’s Sonoma Country region is the United States’ most reputed and prolific grower of high-quality wines. California accounts for 85% of the total US wine production, with 3,674 wineries in California, more than 425 of which are located in Sonoma. This is because a Mediterranean climate aids in producing the best diversity of flavors in wines. Sonoma County is teeming with Mediterranean micro-biomes in addition to many other biomes. A true testament to its moniker as the “sunshine state,” California receives abundant sunlight throughout the year. It also has cool nights with breezes that allow certain varietals to retain their acidity.
Pullus Pinot Grigio Suho
- Winery — Pullus
- Country/Region — Slovenia, Podravje, Štajerska
- Type — Slovenian Pinot Grigio
- Aroma — Pear, Green Melon, Nectarine, Citrus
- Grapes — Pinot Grigio
- Taste — Apple, Pear, Orange
- Alcohol Content — 13%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Chicken Piccata, Oysters and Clams, Shellfish
Pinot Grigio by Pullus is a gorgeous amber-hued specialty wine made in Slovenia. Not only is Pullus’ Pinot Grigio a match made in heaven for chicken piccata, it also has a powerful citrusy flavor that makes it perfect for being incorporated in the recipe. It adds some tartness and acidity to the piccata dish, which makes it last longer on your palate while cutting through the spices. It also enhances the flavor and gives you a much juicier bite.
But that’s not all that’s special about Pullus’ Pinot Grigio Suho. The aroma is reminiscent of ripe and freshly cut tangerines, with some sweet-smelling fruity notes like melons. It also has a fruity flavor profile combining apples, pears, peaches, black fruits, red fruits, melons, and oranges. As for the finish, it’s not that different from orange juice. You may get a few notes of mineral stone and honey. And while the taste may not last too long, it has a silky smooth finish.
Callia Pinot Grigio
- Winery — Callia
- Country/Region — Argentina, San Juan
- Type — Argentinian Pinot Grigio
- Aroma — Floral Notes, Apricot
- Grapes — Pinot Grigio
- Taste — Peaches, Tropical Fruit, Jasmine
- Alcohol Content — 13%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Chicken Piccata, Beans and Peas, Soft Cheese, Fish
Pinot Grigio is a classic Argentinian masterpiece known for its crisp and citrusy flavor with aromas of white flowers. Though the grapes are not indigenous to Latin America, the climatic conditions of the European region from which the varietal was sourced are nearly identical to the conditions in San Juan, Argentina, except they’re in the southern hemisphere. This Pinot Grigio gives intense aromas of apricot and white flowers and a tantalizing blend of peaches, tropical fruits, and jasmine on the palate.
This fruit-friendly wine is usually paired with chicken dishes or those with cream, cheese, and garlic sauces. Callia is the name of the winery’s founder. An immigrant from the Netherlands, Callia immediately took note of Argentina’s jaw-dropping biodiversity. San Juan is endowed with tropical fruits and an abundance of flora despite being a desert. Callia sought to capitalize on Argentina’s terroirs and the local restorative agriculture techniques to create “Me time” wines you can enjoy with or without a dish.
Seifried Estate Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc
- Winery — Seifried Estate
- Country/Region — New Zealand, South Island, Nelson
- Type — New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
- Aroma — Grapefruit, Tropical Fruit, Cut Grass
- Grapes — Sauvignon Blanc
- Taste — Grapefruit, Passion Fruit, Melon, Peach
- Alcohol Content — 13.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Chicken Piccata, Chicken Sandwiches, Steamed Mussels
New Zealand is renowned for its unique biomes that no other land can ever replicate, naturally or otherwise. And the wines they produce are evidence of it. The Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc by Seifried Estate is a beautiful wine under $15 grown in the vineyards of Nelson in New Zealand’s South Island. It’s 15 km from the coast of the Pacific and sheltered by the Richmond Range Mountains. The soil is gravelly and clumped into rocks and boulders but is nutrient-rich.
This helps the grapes hold on to the warmth of the sun and ripen fully, bringing out an exotic combination of flavors. The mouthfeel is sharp but crisp, with subtle finishing notes. There’s an intense variety of tropical fruits alive on the nose with hints of melon, lime, and cut grass. The tasting notes are dominated by tropical fruits like ripe grapefruit and passion fruit. Because the finish is so clean, it’s appropriate to pair this wine with savory or spicy dishes.
Conclusion
Italian foods are far more complex in terms of flavor than most people can even begin to realize. If you’re ever setting up a formal evening with important guests, a beverage that complements the food you serve can help you leave a strong impression, especially on fellow wine lovers.
