Chicken chasseur is a classic French dish of chicken cooked with onions, fresh cream and mushrooms. Often served with noodles or sometimes rice, it works well with European-style wines. The dish has few high and low notes - it's harmoniously rich. The onions add sweet base notes, the cream extends this further and the chicken adds textural support. The best wine needs to be equally deep in the base approach; with too much freshness or high notes the wine will seem out of place. In a classic European approach to food and wine, some acidity will go a long way in creating harmony in the combination. Trimbach Frederic Emile Riesling 2001, Alsace, France This wine begs to be opened when it's been aged a minimum of 15 years in the bottle. But a young vintage also pairs well with chicken chasseur, giving the dish plenty of direction and discipline. The wine steers and directs the creamy richness of the chasseur sauce. There's plenty of deep flavour from both the wine and the dish to match happily. If the Frederic Emile is aged, then the broad and deep notes that come with maturity, such as honey and toast, will give the dish extra richness and personality. It's a perfect match for any palate. Available for HK$420 from Fine Vintage (tel: 2896 6108) Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2004/2005, Marlborough, New Zealand This wine will taste unfamiliar to many lovers of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. It's more like a white Bordeaux than a Kiwi wine. It has tons of minerally zest that work so well with this chicken with creamy mushroom sauce - it's the perfect match. The richness of the sauvignon fruit gives a base for all the flavours and textures of the dish. The creamy sauce and nutty mushrooms give the wine extended flavour. Available for HK$520 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888) Hans Herzog Viognier 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand This is a powerful wine with a generous amount of rich fruit and unabashed fatty oiliness on the palate. It is as warm, welcoming and hearty as the fresh cream in the sauce. The two gentle textures lubricate each other on the palate. The powerful and concentrated viognier, with its honeyed fruit, gives the chicken new flavour notes and purpose. This Hans Herzog viognier is one of the very best that money can buy, not just compared to other Kiwi wines, but worldwide. Available for HK$286 from Wine'n'Things (tel: 2873 5733)
