A Wine and Fish Pairing Guide



A Wine and Fish Pairing Guide
3 mins readAug 1, 2018

When you’re planning a delicious fish dinner and need the perfect wine to accompany it, refer to the following Wine and Fish Pairing Guide from the knowledgeable experts at Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits.

Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits is known for our huge selection of popular international name brand and hard-to-find wines, beers and spirits. The most convenient way to get everything you need quickly is to order online. We deliver online orders free of charge anywhere on Grand Cayman.

Wine and Fish

A Wine and Fish Pairing GuideBefore choosing 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. But there are exceptions to every rule.

White Wine Recommendations

Chardonnay: Chardonnay pairs very well with white-fleshed fish, such as halibut, mahi-mahi and tilapia, as well as with salmon and shellfish, particularly with lobster, fresh boiled crab or mild crab cakes, and scallops. Some of the best chardonnays come from France and California, but look for other fine examples from Italy, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Try a bottle of Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay from California.

Riesling: Rieslings pair quite well with dishes like plain steamed mussels and raw oysters as well as with salmon and tuna. 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. Although usually associated with Germany, delicious Rieslings also come from Alsace, France, Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys, and New York’s Finger Lakes region. We recommend the Prum Essence Riesling from Mosel, Germany.

Sauvignon Blanc: Pair Sauvignon Blanc with delicate fish, such as filet of sole, tilapia, flounder or halibut, and shellfish, like simple steamed clams. You will find excellent Sauvignon Blanc selections from wine regions worldwide, such as France, California, Chile, South Africa, northern Italy and Australia. It has also become the signature white wine of New Zealand, where it features intense green citrus and berry fruit flavors. Try a bottle of the unoaked Babich Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay from New Zealand.

Red Wine Recommendations

Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir is a light bodied red wine that is not as robust as many other red varieties. Its lower amounts of tannins enable you to pair it with lighter foods such as seafood. It pairs best with freshwater fish like salmon, trout, tuna, marlin, swordfish, 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 widely cultivated in California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys. It 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 Wine and Fish Pairing Guide from Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits in the Cayman Islands to get the best out of your next seafood meal.