Perfect Wine Seafood Pairings



Perfect Wine Seafood Pairings
2 mins readJan 12, 2021

Looking for the perfect wine and seafood pairings for your next dinner party? Look not further than Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits for the answers you need.

About Us

Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits is proud to be the Cayman Islands’ leading retailer of award-winning wines, premium spirits, and local and imported beers. We are the exclusive distributor for many fine brands, including Coors Light, Heineken, Dos Equis, Amstel Light, Johnny Walker and Smirnoff, and offer the widest selection of wines and champagnes in Grand Cayman.

Perfect Wine Seafood PairingsWhether you live here or are enjoying a vacation on Island, place your order online, and we’ll deliver your purchases FREE OF CHARGE directly to your residence, office, yacht, vacation villa or hotel room.

Pair It With…

Before selecting a wine to serve with fish, it’s important to look at both the cooking technique and the flavors of any sauce served with it. Meatier fish like tuna and salmon can handle red wine with softer tannins, while milder white fish usually go better with white wines. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

White Wines

Chardonnay: This wine pairs very well with white-fleshed fish like halibut, mahi-mahi and tilapia, as well as with salmon and shellfish, particularly with lobster, fresh boiled crab or mild crab cakes, and scallops. Try a bottle of Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay from California.

Sauvignon Blanc: Pair this wine with delicate fish, such as filet of sole, halibut, tilapia, or flounder, as well as with shellfish, like simple steamed clams. You will find excellent Sauvignon Blanc selections from wine regions all over the world. Try a bottle of Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.

Riesling: Rieslings pair quite well with salmon and tuna and dishes like plain steamed mussels and raw oysters. The wine is a highly aromatic and can span a broad range of styles, being produced in both dry to sweet and light to full-bodied variations. We recommend the Prum Essence Riesling from Mosel, Germany.

Red Wines

Pinot Noir: This light bodied red wine is not as robust as many other red varieties. Fewer tannins enable you to pair it with lighter foods such as seafood. It pairs best with freshwater fish like salmon, tuna, marlin, swordfish, trout, mackerel, bluefish, or other fatty, meaty, big-flavored fish, as well as shellfish (oysters, crab, lobster, and mussels), and with fish dishes served in tomato or cream-based sauces. We recommend the Elouan Pinot Noir from Oregon for its fruity bouquet and smooth taste.

Zinfandel: This well-known wine grape is lighter in color than other reds, but has a bold taste with notes of raspberry, chocolate and cinnamon. Zinfandel has high acidity and moderate tannins, making it a great match for grilled and pan-seared salmon. Try the award-winning Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, California.

Use this guide from Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits in the Cayman Islands for perfect wine and seafood pairings.