Serious Grape: Salmon, a Spring Wine Pairing
On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape.
Now that it's spring I can't go by the fish counter at the local market without wanting some salmon. I don't know if it's the color, the freshness of its flesh, or the fact that it goes so well with spring vegetables like peas and asparagus.
No matter the reason, salmon is finding its way onto my dinner table regularly. If this is happening to you too, you might be wondering what wine makes a perfect partner for this rich fish.
Once upon a time, the rule was "white wine with fish." That rule doesn't hold anymore. To prove it, I made a tasty salmon dish and paired it with both a full-bodied white and a flavorful red. Both were delicious, as you'll see after the jump.
Salmon is a rich, oily fish that's loaded with nutrients and flavors. Its meatiness makes is ideally suited to a wide variety of preparations—and wines to go with them.
I made a salmon recipe that my fellow blogger Rick Bakas of Back to Bakas invented: baked salmon with a Dijon mustard and brown sugar glaze. It's super-easy, super-tasty, and super-good with some boiled potatoes with butter and herbs and a green veggie.
To test the white wine with fish theory I selected a Pinot Noir and a rich white varietal from the Rhone called Roussanne. It turned out that both were excellent with the food—and each brought out different flavor elements.
First, up was the 2006 Humanitas Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast appellation. This was a beautiful example of a cool climate Pinot Noir with aromas of cherries, raspberries, and chalk. The flavors were dominated by raspberry, with some pepper and mineral notes. The wine was smooth and silky, with touches of allspice in the aftertaste. With the salmon, the wine picked up the meatiness of the fish, the silkiness of the salmon's texture, and the spiciness of the Dijon mustard.
Next up was the 2006 Tablas Creek Roussanne. This wine was bright gold in color and had delicious aromas of hay and chamomile. The flavors reminded me of melon with a tinge of honey and some bright citrus notes. It feels heavier in the mouth than many whites, and has clean limestone and mineral notes that keep the wine interesting and lively This wine accentuated a totally different side of the salmon: its clean freshness, the sweetness of the brown sugar glaze, and the mineral taste of the sea.
If salmon has a place on your table this spring, throw out all the old rules your mom told you. Pair it with red wine, like a silky Pinot Noir, if you want to emphasize its meaty richness. And if its the clean, fresh side of the fish that you're looking to bring out, go with a full-bodied white variety from the Rhone like Roussanne, Marsanne, or Viognier. Whichever way you go, you're in for a treat.
Notes: I received the Humanitas Pinot Noir as a sample. Its suggested retail is $40. Humanitas Wines donates the profits from their wine sales to charities that address illiteracy, hunger, and homelessness. (Find out more about Humanitas Wines and their Pinot Noir at humanitaswines.com.) I pulled the Tablas Creek Roussanne out of my own cellar. It costs between $24 and $30 in today's market, and more recent vintages are available. (Find this wine at vinquire.com.)
View other entries from Serious Grape.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
7 Comments:
Salmon is definitely one of those fishes that can stand up to a red wine. One of my favorite ways to cook salmon is a neat method where you cook it for about 12 minutes at a very low temperature (250 degrees). The salmon takes on a sushi consistency, but it's fully cooked.
I pair that with a red wine reduction (usually Zinfandel) and sauteed mushrooms.
cooklocal at 12:36PM on 03/27/09
I love salmon too - I grew up eating it in my home town of Vancouver. But you and your readers should know that the Pacific salmon stocks are seriously depleted. Farming salmon is rife with problems too, including sea lice that endanger the wild stocks. If you love salmon, you need to be aware of the critical problems facing this species, and perhaps make another fish choice that's less problematic. Arctic char, anyone? Save salmon for the really special occasions, and make sure the salmon you're buying is wild, not farmed. Thanks!
jd at 12:49PM on 03/27/09
Yes yes yes! A good pinot (either domestic or French) or a luscious Languedoc or Cotes du Rhone are all terrific with salmon. And when it's just too hot outside for red, we love a good rosé chilling in a garden bucket of ice in the back yard. One of our favorites, and a great conversation starter with its picture of Che Guevara on the label, is Vino Pinko from Oregon's quirky John Paul of Cameron Winery.
GoodStuffNW at 1:12PM on 03/27/09
I love the wine pairings you came up with. Hadn't thought of Roussanne as a pairing but can see why it would work. How rich should the Roussanne be? Should it be a little light or a little more buttery? Cheers!
rickbakas at 4:32PM on 03/27/09
Thanks Deb for the comments on our Humanitas 2006 Gap's Crown Pinot Noir -- sounds like a delicious pairing! I really appreciate the discussion of texture -- an often overlooked, but critical element in wine & food. For me, wine IS food so this makes complete sense. As always, drink charitably! Judd Wallenbrock - Proprietor - Humanitas Wines
Humanitas at 12:44PM on 03/28/09
Sadly, I have to echo jd's comment. I love salmon, but have all but stopped eating it, due to my concerns about its future. I encourage everyone to seriously consider where their salmon (and all seafood) comes from, and to make seafood selections wisely.
And as far as what to drink with fish, it really does depend on what kind of fish you're talking about. Pinot noir shines not just with salmon, but with tuna and other more flavorful fishes. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
jwallace at 8:49AM on 03/29/09
I think a nice Japanese Sake would also be a good choice for the salmon. In fact, Sake is a great pairing for any type of seafood.
I recently read an intriguing assertion that Sake actually pairs better with seafood than wine, because wine has far more sodium, which tends to bring out the fishiness in seafood. I have not done my own testing yet on that theory.
RichardA at 1:33PM on 03/30/09