Pairing Wine with Seafood

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Pairing Wine with Seafood
Website https//bradleysfish.com
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Pairing Wine with Seafood
Seafood is generally quite healthy, with the
National Health Service (NHS) recommending we
have two portions of seafood per week. Pairing a
beautifully-seasoned fish fillet or a decadent
plate of shellfish with a glass of wine is a
wonderful thing, although its not a one bottle
fits all solution. Check out our handy breakdown
on wine and seafood pairings below for a steer in
the right direction.
Seafood Pairing House Rules
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• White wines tend to be best, although lighter
  reds and sparkling can be good options with some
  dishes
• Pair based on the texture and weight of the fish
  the more delicate the fish, the more elegant
  the wine should be
• Consider the most prominent element of the dish
  (often the sauce) and pair accordingly
• Balance spicy with sweet, and salty with bubbles,
  as you typically would with other meats
• Sweeter dishes need a sweeter wine
• Consider the saltiness of saltwater fish (in
  comparison to freshwater fish) when choosing your
  wine

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Types of Seafood
Pink Fish
White Fish
Shell Fish
Fish Meat
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White Fish
Fish is predominantly a white meat and therefore
pairs better with white wines. Some of the more
common white fish out there include halibut, cod
and, haddock sea bass, tilapia and white tuna
(albacore).
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White Fish House Rules
Leaner, flakier white fish like tilapia and sea
bass tend to be quite delicate and relatively
mild in flavour. These pair better with light,
refreshing whites
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More medium-textured fish like haddock and
halibut tend to be thicker and more capable of
withstanding more flavour-intense wine. Look for
medium-bodied, aromatic white wines
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Best Wines to Try
Reds  Light-bodied Pinot Noir, Beaujolais,
Sangiovese, Zinfandel
Whites  Light to medium-bodied Pinot Gris, Pinot
Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
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Classic Wine Pairings
Alsace Riesling and Sea Bass Sea bass in a
Chinese-style dish such as a stir fry should be
paired with a more aromatic white. A dry,
Alsatian Riesling works perfectly by providing a
balance to the spices and soy in the
dish. Sauvignon Blanc and Halibut Fresh
halibut is quite delicate and clean. It has light
sea flavours and works well with a little herby
seasoning. These elements combined make it a
perfect match with a fragrant and fresh Loire
Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The lightness of the wine
complements the meat nicely and the grassy notes
work well with the herbs and flavours. Italian
Pinot Grigio and Grilled Tilapia Tilapia is a
delicate fish that requires a lighter white
pairing in order not to overpower the dish. When
grilling, especially if adding some lemon, you
should look for zesty and refreshing white to
balance the delicate fish flavour. A Pinot Grigio
from Italy will work perfectly.
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Pink Fish
Quite a lot of fish is slightly pinkish in
colour, but will actually turn white when cooked.
Real pink fish like salmon and trout remains pink
when cooked. The colour of the meat often
indicates the most suitable colour wine to pair
it with. With pink fish, you can actually use
both white and red wines. The way its prepared
and other ingredients or sauces tend to be key
deciding factors too.
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Pink Fish House Rules
Pink fish pairings are often dependant on how it
is being prepared and other ingredients of the
dish
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Pink fish (especially salmon) is very flexible
and fun to pair with. Whites, reds, rosés and
sparkling can all be used
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Due to the fattiness of pink fish, go for
medium-bodied whites or light reds (possibly
medium reds if the dish is flavour intensive)
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Best Wines to Try
Reds  Light-bodied Pinot Noir, Beaujolais,
Sangiovese, Zinfandel
Whites  Light to medium-bodied Pinot Gris, Pinot
Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
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Classic Wine Pairings
Chardonnay and Trout in Lemon Butter Sauce Trout
is perfect with a lemon butter sauce, which is
superbly matched by a unoaked (or lightly oaked)
chardonnay. Unoaked chardonnay from somewhere
like France will be slightly fruity and provide
nice acidity, helping to cut through the buttery
sauce the trout is served in.
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Beaujolais (Gamay) and Grilled Salmon The subtle
tannins, lightness and fruitiness of Beaujolais
make it a fantastic pairing for grilled salmon,
helping to bring out its rich and savoury
flavours. Its important to stick to lighter reds
like a Beaujolais to avoid killing the salmons
flavours (As reds with more structure and body
feel like they compete with the oils in the fish,
creating an unpleasant metallic taste!)
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Meaty Fish
These fish will almost have a steak-like feel to
them, firm and sturdy enough to hit the grill.
Some of the meatier fish out there include tuna
steaks, swordfish, monkfish and mackerel, and
they will often be slightly oilier and higher in
fat. Here are some guidelines on pairing with
such fish.
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Meaty Fish House Rules
The fattier, oilier nature of the fish, as well
as its generally bolder feel, will allow you to
go for more full-bodied wines
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Both rich whites and light-medium reds can be
used depending on the fish and the way its
prepared
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If the fish (or dish as a whole) is notably
salty, a sparkling wine such as Cava can provide
a really good balance
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Best Wines to Try
Reds  Light to medium-bodied Pinot Noir (New
World), Gamay
Whites  Rich, flavoursome Chardonnay, Viognier,
Grenache Blanc
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Classic Wine Pairings
Pinot Noir and Tuna Steak
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You only have to look at the colour of a tuna
steak and a bottle of Pinot Noir to know theyre
going to pair well. As a meaty fish, tuna is more
than capable of standing up to lighter reds, and
a New World Pinot Noir works perfectly. The
fruitiness of the wine complements and enhances
the flavours of the fish, especially if its
cooked with some citrus or spices.
Chardonnay and Swordfish
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Swordfish is meaty, full of flavour and capable
of standing up to medium to full-bodied white
wines. For this, an Old World Chardonnay from the
Languedoc region fits the bill nicely. Chardonnay
is a well-known pairing for meatier seafood and a
safe bet for anyone unsure. The wine will be rich
and flavoursome enough to match up to the
steak-like swordfish without being overpowering.
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Shellfish
Some of the most popular shellfish include squid,
oysters, crab, clams and shrimp. They tend to
have quite rich flavours that are complemented
nicely by acidic whites. Here are some general
rules to help get you started, with a couple of
example pairings to get your claws into as well.
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Shellfish House Rules
The main things to consider when pairing are the
specific shellfish, how its being cooked, its
tenderness and any other ingredients/sauces being
used
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A lot of shellfish craves a counter-balance of
light, fruit flavours and adequate acidity,
meaning an acidic white tends to pair well
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Sticking to medium-full bodied whites is
recommended to prevent the wine being overpowered
by any sauces or side dishes
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Its always best to pair food with wine that can
stand up to the intensity of the dish, as well as
complement its flavours
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Best Wines to Try
Whites  Light to medium-bodied Muscadet,
Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio,
Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, White Burgundy
(Chardonnay)
Sparkling  Dry, crisp Champagne, Cava
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Classic Wine Pairings
Brut Champagne and Calamari (Squid)
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Sparkling wines in general work really well with
deep-fried foods, as the bubbles and citrus
flavours cleanse your mouth of all the fats and
oils while you eat. They also have a hint of
sweetness to boot, which will add some
much-required balance to the saltiness of fried
squid. Once youve tried fizz with your calamari,
youll never turn back!
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Muscadet and Oysters
Muscadet is a light, white wine from the western
Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in France.
The Nantes coast also produces some incredible
meaty oysters, for which a crisp Muscadet is the
perfect regional pairing. Oysters with their
saltiness are very pleasantly complemented by the
wines acidity and citrusy taste. Serve Muscadet
slightly chilled for best results.