HOME   |    CORPORATE SERVICES   |    NEWS   |    CONTACTS  Store  Business  Company  Editorial   Articles   Food Pairing   Message Board  Shipping Policies 30 Stein Am Rhein Ct; Units J & K Redwood City, CA 94063 U.S.A. Tel:  650-298-8548 Fax: 650-364-1299  What Wine With What Fish Even though one of the most marvelous qualities of wines is that they go so well with food, some people are put off by what they think is the mystique that has grown up over the years surrounding the way in which wines are selected. The question of selecting the proper wines to serve with different foods is one that intrigues many and intimidates others. At one extreme are those gourmets who are so concerned with the nuances of food and wine that they adhere to a rigid set of rules about which wine is precisely the right accompaniment for each dish. On the other hand, there are those who claim that any wine goes with any food. The realities of both food and wine tell us that neither of these styles of decision making is a good one. Those who stay strictly within the rules lose out by never having the opportunity to experiment and discover new combinations. Those who simply throw away the rules often pay the price by drinking a wine that overpowers the taste of a delicate dish or of eating a highly spiced dish that kills the flavor of the light wine they have selected. The truest lovers of wine and food know that a certain amount of experimentation and even playfulness is often in order. They also realize that many of the procedures used in selecting the right wine exist for sound reasons, and before they set out to be playful, an understanding of the rules can add to the wine experience and, whether at home or in a restaurant can make the difference between a routine occasion and an event rich with enjoyment. The most important general rule in the selection of wines to accompany a meal is that the wines should complement the food and the food should accentuate and blend with the qualities of the wines. Although the long-standing rule of white wine with fish and white meat and red wine with red meat has some notable exceptions, most people seem to find it appropriate most of the time. Following are several guidelines that may prove useful in selecting the right wines for the simplest or the most complex of fish and seafood meals. Not all of these combinations will please true wine snobs but those with a bit of culinary courage will find many of these to their taste. A Sea Full of Fish Dishes Anchovies Sauvignon Blanc, Pouilly-Fume Calamari, (squid) fried Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet Ceviche and Carpaccio Sauvignon Blanc Clams or Mussels in White Wine Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, Chardonnay, light Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Cod and Baccala Sauvignon Blanc Cold Fish Salads Rose wines or sparkling wines Crabs Chablis, Chardonnay, Riesling Fish and Chips Dry Rose, Chenin Blanc, Orvietto Fish in Butter orHollandaise Sauce Soave Classico, Pinot Grigio, Spanish whites from Rioja and Penedes Fish in Cream Sauce White Burgundies, Sauvignon Blanc, oaked Chardonnay Fisn Mousses or Souffles Sweet wines from Sauternes, Barsac or Hungarian Tokay, Gewurtztraminer Fish Pates Chablis, Chenin Blanc, Mosel wines, Gewurtztraminer Fish Stews Red wines such as Merlot or Cote Rotie Fish Stews with Aioli or other Garlic Sauces Muscadet, Pinot Bianco, trebbiano, Chenin Blanc Fish with Mushrooms Red wines such as Pinot Noir, any Beaujolais wine or heavily oaked Chardonnay Fish in the Indian or Chinese Styles Dry or semi dry Gewurtztraminer Grilled Fish Light red wines such as Beaujolais Villages, Julianas, and nearly all wines based on Gamay grapes; Sauvignon Blanc Halibut Chardonnay Herring and Other Oily Fish Schnapps, sparkling wine, dry Sherry Grouper, trout, Bass Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc, Pouilly Fume, oaked or unoaked Chardonnay, Chablis Lobsters (boiled, steamed, grilled or in cream sauce) White Burgundy, oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or, if you are in a daring mood, red Zinfandel or even Brunello di Montalcino Mussels Chardonnay, Chablis, light Burgundy and Beaujolais red Mussels in Cream Sauce Chardonnay, Macon-Villages Mussels in Wine Chardonnay, Muscade de Sevre et Maine Octopus in Tomato sauce Pouilly Fume, Sauvignon Blanc Oysters (raw) Chablis (!!!), Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Champagne Oysters, clams, lobsters and other cooked shelfish Sauvignon Blanc, oaked Chardonnay Salmon (Grilled) Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, red Sancerre, Chablis, Pouilly Fume Salmon (Smoked) Chardonnay, Soave Classico, Sparkling wines Sardines, Red Mullet Portugese vinho verde or other young unoaked whites Scallops or Coquilles St. Jacques (Grilled) Well oaked Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc Scallops or Coquilles St. Jacques in Butter or Hollandaise Sauce Soave Classico, Pinot Grigio, Rioja whites, unoaked Chardonnay, Rose wines Seafood Soups (Creamed) Amontillado Sherry or Madeira Seafood Salads Pouilly-Fume, Sauvignon Blanc Shrimp (boiled or grilled) Unoaked Chardonnay, Maconnais, Pouilly-Fuisse Shrimp Cocktail and Shrimps with Garlic Sauvignon Blanc, Fino Sherry, Pinot Blanc, light Pinot Noir Smoked Fish Muscadet, Riesling, Chablis, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, white Chateauneuf du Pape Sole, Dover Sole and Turbot Unoaked Chardonnay, Friuli-Grave, German Riesling, Sparkling Wines Sushi and Sashimi Dry Riesling, sparkling Blanc de Blanc Taramasalata or Ikra Greek Retsina (if you can tolerate it) or Sauvignon Blanc trout with Almonds Crozes-Hermitage, Chardonnay, most German whites, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc Tuna or Swordfish (fresh) Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, oaked Chardonnay Tuna or Swordfish in Pepper Sauce Cabernet Sauvignon, Brunello di Montalcino

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