August 02, 2012
Reds Are In
Pairing wines with fish and seafood can be difficult. Typically, we embrace the cliché, and lean toward the whites, which is a safe bet when you know what you’re doing. But what if you’re a red wine lover? No reason to despair. The color codes have been tossed, the rules have changed, and we can pull the corks out of reds for meals that come from the sea. Many red wines pair beautifully with fish, and finding what works for you and yours is half the fun.
Pinot Noir, while an extremely food friendly wine, is not necessarily the right choice for all fish. It pairs very nicely with firm and more meaty fish, like tuna, salmon or swordfish, but with a lighter, more flaky fish, like tilapia, cod, roughy or flounder, it might be best to stick with a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or even Champagne. Again, the rules are very much tied your enjoyment. The general idea is to match try to match the weight and texture of the fish (and the sauce, if there is one), with the weight and texture of the wine. So if you’re serving a lighter fish with say…a light drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, you’ll want to consider a light white. On the other hand, if you’re serving salmon with something heavier, say…a creamy dill or caper sauce, pulling out a lighter bodied red is fair game. The idea is to shoot for something that will let the flavor of the fish old its own. Remember, the wine compliments the food, not the other way around.
There are many excellent varietals of younger reds with lower alcohol content and higher acidity that can be a refreshing pairing with fish and even in warmer weather. In short, reds don’t have to be huge, and many of them are best served chilled. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider the next time you’re putting fish in the oven, or on the grill.
Pinot Noir: It’s a fruit forward and floral wine with notes of berries, plums, tomatoes and cherries. It will stand up to beef, pork and lamb, while at the same time; it tends not to over power fish and chicken. As mentioned, great with meatier fish, like salmon, tuna and swordfish, but still a great “go to” selection no matter what you’re serving.
Rosé: Throw away your preconceived notions. If you haven’t tried it in a while, it’s not necessarily the overly sweet, comes-in-a-box, make-it-into-a-wine-cooler, wine it used to be. The modern rosé is refreshing, dry, and a great choice with almost any lighter fish. You can even serve it chilled.
Gamay (Beaujolais): Essentially, these wines come in three different forms, Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais Villages, and Cru Beaujolais. Depending on how long they are fermented (the Nouveau is very young—sometimes bottled while it’s still fermenting), the flavors can range from light and fruity, to more complex and slightly bolder. The best bang for your buck these days—Cru Beaujolais.
Cheers, and happy “fishing.”
