Pairing Fish and Wine
What wine goes best with Fish Stew, Red Snapper, Tuna, and Salmon?...A Fine Wine and Fish Pairing
Which wine with fish? Which fish with wine?
The classic pairing of fish and red wine is salmon and Pinot Noir. I still remember the first time I tried this happy combination which flew in the face of that famous rule white wine with fish, fish with white wine. I was young enough to be surprised and old enough to truly appreciate. But that's just me. What counts is what works for you and yours. There is nothing fishy about it.
Choosing a Wine to Match Your Fish Dish
Does a Bandol Rosé really compliment a Bouillabaisse? Alas, Marseille is so, so far. If I remember correctly that marvellous grilled fish we enjoyed on the shore in Istanbul was accompanied very well by a modest house wine. The physical and emotional surroundings are quite important. And don't forget to take the sauce, vegetables, and condiments into consideration when decided which wine to enjoy. Whether you select your wine or your fish dish first, check our tables to get a great match that brings out the best in the fish and the wine. There's nothing like the right wine and food marriage.
The following table presents fish and wine pairing information, sorted by
fish dish. When you click on any fish dish a new page pops up telling you more about that dish and providing additional
wine suggestions.
| Fish Dish | Recommended Wines |
|---|---|
| Bass | Soave, Viognier |
| Blackened Fish | Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Riesling |
| Bouillabaisse | Bandol Rosé, Cava |
| Catfish | Lambrusco, Pinot Gris, Vouvray |
| Cod | Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Fish Stew (not tomato-based) | Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Fish Stew (tomato-based) | Chablis, Cote Rotie, Pouilly-Fumé |
| Flounder | Chablis, Pinot Blanc, Valpolicella |
| Fried Fish | Soave, Sparkling Wine, Vinho Verde |
| Grilled Fish | Rosé Champagne |
| Halibut | Chardonnay, Condrieu, Rousanne |
| Monkfish (Lotte) | Italian Tocai, Merlot |
| Red Snapper | Chablis, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Salmon (Grilled) | Bourgueil, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Provencal Rosé |
| Salmon (Poached) | Bordeaux (White), Burgundy (White) |
| Salmon (Poached) | Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir |
| Sardines | Sancerre, Vinho Verde |
| Sea Bass | Pinot Noir, Sancerre |
| Sole | Chablis, Graves (White), Riesling, Semillion |
| Swordfish | Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling (Brut) |
| Trout | Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Tuna | Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Vin Gris |
The following table presents wine and fish pairing information, sorted by wine, rather than by
fish dish. When you click on any wine a new page pops up telling you what you need to know about that
wine. This short page makes specific purchase recommendations, usually in three price ranges.
| Wine | Wine Type | Recommended Fish Dish | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandol Rosé | Powerful French Wine | Bouillabaisse | |
| Bordeaux (White) | Classic French Wine | Salmon (Poached) | |
| Bourgueil | Fruity French Red | Salmon (Grilled) | |
| Burgundy (White) | Classic French Wine | Salmon (Poached) | |
| Cava | Spanish Sparkling Wine | Bouillabaisse | |
| Chablis | Classic French White | Fish Stew (tomato-based), Flounder | |
| Chablis | Classic French White | Red Snapper, Sole | |
| Chardonnay | White Variety | Halibut, Salmon (Grilled) | |
| Chardonnay | White Variety | Swordfish, Tuna | |
| Chenin Blanc | White Variety | Blackened Fish | |
| Condrieu | Classic French White | Halibut | |
| Côte Rôtie | Classic French Red | Fish Stew (tomato-based) | |
| Gewurztraminer | White Variety | Trout | |
| Graves (White) | Classic French Wine | Sole | |
| Lambrusco | Fizzy Italian White | Catfish | |
| Merlot | Red Variety | Monkfish (Lotte) | |
| Muscadet | Classic French White | Fish Stew (not tomato-based) | |
| Pinot Blanc | White Variety | Blackened Fish, Flounder | |
| Pinot Gris | White Variety | Catfish, Cod, Red Snapper | |
| Pinot Gris | White Variety | Salmon (Poached), Tuna | |
| Pinot Noir | Red Variety | Salmon (Grilled), Salmon (Poached) | |
| Pinot Noir | Red Variety | Sea Bass, Tuna | |
| Pouilly-Fumé | Classic French White | Fish Stew (tomato-based) | |
| Provencal Rosé | French Wine | Salmon (Grilled) | |
| Riesling | White Variety | Blackened Fish, Sole, Trout | |
| Rosé Champagne | French Sparkling Wine | Grilled Fish | |
| Roussanne | White Variety | Halibut | |
| Sancerre | Classic French White | Sardines, Sea Bass | |
| Sauvignon Blanc | White Variety | Cod, Fish Stew (not tomato-based) | |
| Sauvignon Blanc | White Variety | Red Snapper, Swordfish, Trout | |
| Semillon | White Variety | Sole | |
| Soave | Light Italian White | Bass, Fried Fish | |
| Sparkling (Brut) | Dry White Wine | Swordfish | |
| Sparkling Wine | (not too sweet) | Fried Fish | |
| Tocai | Fruity Italian White | Monkfish (Lotte) | |
| Valpolicella | Fruity Italian Red | Flounder | |
| Vin Gris | Pink but not Rosé | Tuna | |
| Vinho Verde | Light Portuguese White | Fried Fish, Sardines | |
| Viognier | White Variety | Bass | |
| Vouvray | Classic French White | Catfish |
For my food pairing experiences with French wine read
For my food pairing experiences with German wine read
For my food pairing experiences with Italian wine read
If you are looking for information on the best wine to accompany fish, if you want to know which wine goes with a specific fish dish or which fish dish goes with which wine, this is your site for fish and wine pairings.