What wine goes with fish?
Pair with a dish
For the fish — a dry white with freshness
Red
- Pinot Noir a light red with a fine perfumeBurgundy a red Burgundy, fine and perfumed · Sonoma a Sonoma Pinot, ripe and silky
- Nerello Mascalese a pale volcanic redSicily an Etna red, pale and volcanic
- Cinsault a light, fragrant red
- Mencia a cool, mineral red
- Kalecik Karasi a light, fragrant red, lightly chilled
- Cabernet FrancChinon a Chinon, leafy and lightly chilled
White
a dry white, served cold
- Chardonnay a white with some weight to itChablis a Chablis, lean and stony · Burgundy a white Burgundy with some weight
- Sauvignon Blanc a crisp, green-edged whiteSancerre a Sancerre, flinty and dry · Marlborough a Marlborough Sauvignon, loud and green
- Riesling a white with acidity and a touch of sweetnessMosel a Mosel Riesling, light and off-dry · Alsace an Alsace Riesling, dry and steely
- Chenin Blanc a white that can run dry or sweetVouvray a Vouvray, anywhere from dry to sweet
- Pinot Grigio a light, clean white
- Semillon a waxy white that ages well
- Albarino a white with salt in itRías Baixas an Albariño with the Atlantic in it
- Gruner Veltliner a peppery, dry white
- Verdejo a crisp, herbal white
- Assyrtiko a dry white, taut and salineSantorini a Santorini white, volcanic and saline
- Garganega a gentle, dry white
- Vermentino a coastal, herby white
- Trebbiano a simple, neutral white
- Marsanne a rich, waxy white
- Roussanne a full white with some perfume
- Melon de Bourgogne a bone-dry white off its leesMuscadet a Muscadet, bone-dry and briny
- Silvaner a quiet, earthy white
- Furmint a dry white with real acidity
- Godello a textured, mineral white
- Torrontes a floral, dry white
- Muscat a dry, floral white
- Fiano a textured southern white
- Greco a firm, mineral white
- Malvasia an aromatic white, dry or not
- Emir a crisp Cappadocian white
- Narince a round, gentle white
- Vinho Verde a Vinho Verde, light and spritzy
Rosé
a dry rosé, cold and easy
- Provence a pale Provence rosé, cold
Sparkling
something with bubbles in it
- Pinot Noir a sparkling with a red grape's weight
- Champagne something with bubbles and bread in it
Fortified
- Palomino a dry sherry, served cold
- Jerez a sherry, from fino to oloroso
Why these wines work with fish
Fish is delicate and often lean, and the old rule of white wine with fish holds for good reasons. Tannin in red wine can react with fish oils and leave a metallic taste, while acidity does what a squeeze of lemon does: it lifts the flavour and freshens the palate. So the default is a dry white with freshness, and the list here is mostly that: Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Marlborough, Albariño from Rías Baixas, Chablis, Assyrtiko, Vermentino, Grüner Veltliner.
With sole, cod and other white fish
Match the weight of the wine to the fish and its sauce. Sole, plaice and other white fish simply cooked want something light and crisp; a meaty fillet of turbot, hake or cod in a butter sauce can take a rounder white Burgundy or a Chenin Blanc from Vouvray.
With salmon, mackerel and other oily fish
Oily fish carry more flavour and fat, and they are where light, low-tannin reds become possible: Pinot Noir, a pale Etna red from Sicily, Mencía, Cinsault or a lightly chilled Chinon. Smoked fish suits an aromatic or off-dry white, Riesling being the obvious choice.
With fried fish
A cold, dry sherry is an underrated partner for anything fried, and Champagne and other sparkling wines cut through batter and fat with ease. A cold, pale rosé from Provence works wherever you would otherwise reach for a crisp white, and much the same thinking carries over to shellfish.
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