How to Choose a Good Wine for Fish

Pairing wines with food can be really interesting and fun. Have a glass of wine, sit back and consider the possibilities.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wines

1. Keep in mind how the fish will be cooked, along with its natural flavor and texture. Try to complement or contrast the flavor and texture of the fish with your wine.

2. Try a spicy wine such as a dry gewürztraminer from France for fish prepared with heavy spices. You could also pair the fish with a red Burgundy from France or pinot noir from the United States.

3. Pair delicately flavored fish in subtle, mild sauces with lighter, more delicate wines. Very few young red wines fall under this category, so a white muscadet from France or melon from Oregon would nicely fit the bill.

4. Consider a higher-acid wine such as a red Anjou or white Burgundy from France, or a riesling from south Australia, for a fattier, richer fish such as a hearty, oily piece of salmon.

5. Try a full-flavored, smoky Viognier from France or a heavily oaked, premium Napa chardonnay for any grilled fish.

6. Try pairing shellfish with white wines that have a fair amount of acid. Whites from cold regions like France's Loire Valley or Chablis, or from Oregon, will have plenty of acid backbone to match the buttery flavor of lobster or fresh oysters.

Tips & Warnings

• The first rule of food and wine pairing is always to drink what you like, no matter what someone else says.
• The old adage of white wine with fish and red wine with meat is a good rule to live by, but there are some notable exceptions. If you keep in mind the principles of complementing and contrasting flavors, you'll have a winning combination every time.

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[grapegirls]

on 3/13/2009 Spring is the perfect time to begin experimenting with your fish and wine pairings. Invite a few friends over and make it a party by putting the patio or backyard to good use. Cheers! :)

[labellefleur100]

on 2/3/2009 Good advice. I will take it into consideration next time I go out!

on 9/4/2006 If the fish is prepared simply without a heavy sauce, you might try an Italian Pinot Grigio which are light, dry, fruity, usually with good acid balance, and inexpensive, or perhaps a Portuguese Vinho Verde which are dry, very light, inexpensive and of much better quality than in the past. The South Africans make dry, crisp, Chenin Blancs that are great values, and Washington State wineries produces some excellent dry Rieslings. If the fish is prepared in a richer fashion match it with a more intense Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or a wondrously fruity Oregon Pinot Gris.

on 11/22/2005 If you are not sure what wine will go with your dinner, or if you and your date have completely different main courses (which in theory would require 2 wines and would make the bill increase more than what you and I want) go with a nice sparkling wine methode champanoise. I like Freixenet Cordon Negro, but the yellow bottle is fairly good too. In the supermarket you can get them from $4.99-$8.99 a bottle, and they are as good as many $17-$25 wines out there. The most important thing is that they truly go with anything, and if your date is not a wine person, it will not show as much (which I know they will like).