Bethenny Frankel’s Perfect Chicken Salad Is So Simple

Fall means warm candles, your favorite cozy movie and a cheese board paired with a glass of wine, perhaps. If you’re looking for a new wine to bring in the change of season, there’s a celebrity bottle now on the market that may be worth your money.

Bethenny Frankel, television star turned entrepreneur and social media influencer, just launched her newest brand: Forever Young Wines. The new line features ethically sourced rosé and sauvignon blanc—I tasted the former, and it was a delicious, fruit-forward glass that paired amazingly with my dinner (simple tomato pasta and a side salad).

I was given the opportunity to talk to Frankel herself to learn more about the wine, plus what she would personally pair with the drink. In this exclusive interview, find out more on Frankel’s favorite things, including her personal dos and don’ts for chicken salad, the surprising Dollar Tree food find she recommends and more.

EatingWell: What makes Forever Young’s rosé unique? What should our readers know before giving it a try?

Frankel: I think this wine, especially at my age and taste level, is something that is more cultivated and more specific. For me, it has to have a certain taste level, and this wine is immaculate. It’s superb, it’s delicious, it’s elevated, everyone loves it. It’s also biodynamic. Basically biodynamic is something that is more respected in wine because it’s holistic. It’s ecological, it’s ethical and it’s next-level organic. The winery Château Roubine, [led by] Valérie Rousselle, is a sustainable family business. The wine is just pure, it’s impeccable and it appeals to people who are health conscious as it’s not synthetic. It’s a beautiful wine and I have a great partner in a great winery that we’re proud of.

EatingWell: Favorite foods to pair with the wine?

Frankel: I would say any kind of crisp, chilled shrimp would be nice. Any kind of seafood would be great. A salad, a light and fresh summery fruit, caviar or chicken salad—which obviously I’m famous for.

EatingWell: What does your ideal chicken salad include?

Frankel: I like simple things. Lemon, a dash of pickle juice, a dash of celery juice, a dash of mustard. I don’t like getting into big chunky grapes and cranberries and nuts. It’s got to be pure, shredding the chicken and having it be warm before adding the mayonnaise. True chicken salad is kind of classic and simple, but seasoned well.

EatingWell: On the flip side, you also have your brand Mingle Mocktails and a new, non-alcoholic Raspberry Rosé flavor. What made you decide to create a nonalcoholic version of rosé? 

Frankel: Some people are sober curious, many people aren’t drinking and some people just want to mix it with alcohol. I like to have the option at my house and offer it for someone who’s not drinking. It tastes incredible, but it doesn’t use fruit juice so it doesn’t taste like a soft drink. It tastes like a true alternative cocktail, and it’s also a ready-to-drink mocktail. I’ve seen a lot of mocktails that are mimicking the alcohol and it doesn’t really land. And it doesn’t really taste like alcohol, so that just seems like a lot of work to not be drinking. I like the fact that it really does solve the problem.

EatingWell: We know you’re a fan of Dollar Tree. Do you have any go-to foods that you grab while you’re there? 

Frankel: I’ve found Talenti gelato there, and I’ve found all types of snacks that you see. That’s what’s surprising about the Dollar Tree: there’s a lot in there that you would be surprised to find, as well as a lot of good dishes and glassware.

EatingWell: Least favorite food or any food hot takes?

Frankel: Anything bland. I like things that are very intense in flavor. I’d rather not eat something boring and simple. I like exciting people and exciting food.

EatingWell: What does “eating well” mean to you?

Frankel: Eating well means trying to eat as many foods with ingredients that you know as possible. It means balance and it means listening to your body. It means having a food voice and conversation versus food noise.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.