Fish & Red Wine????
I have my own opinions on the subject but I would like to know everyone elses thoughts about fish pairing with red wine. Does/should fish go with red wine? if so what wine? what kind of fish?...etc
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12 Comments:
I am a firm believer that you should drink whatever you like best. I think yes, there may be good "pairings" and generally whites go best with lighter fare, but I don't subscribe to the "rules" that you can't drink reds with fish. I happen to have a fondness for a good shiraz or red zinfandel, and if I'm in the mood, I'll pour myself a glass to go with whatever I'm eating...even if it happens to be shrimp, crab or cod.
juliebugsmama at 7:53AM on 09/08/09
Why not red wine...the 'red with meats' - 'white with fish' theory may be a good rule of thumb but it is not set in stone. Just yesterday we paired a wonderful merlot with a Mediterranean seafood platter in a lemony vinaigrette, and over the weekend we did a strong syrah with our Asian style sesame tuna.
This debate goes on and on, but the bottom line is what suits you...
gutreactions at 7:58AM on 09/08/09
hm. I eat fish quite often; I'm gonna say the particular flavor profile of the dish needs to be properly suited (to some considerable degree, anyway) to a red. whichever red that may be. so I believe I'm agreeing with @gutreactions--sure, drink whatever you love or are in the mood for; but to best enjoy the pairing, the fish dish needs some strong-ish character.
emilytaylor at 8:28AM on 09/08/09
We don't drink very much white wine (more than a glass gives me a headache and hubby prefers red), so we have a sliding scale of reds that we move within instead of red/white. I had a light, fruity Pinot Noir that paired perfectly with a shrimp and scallop dish over the weekend; at home in Seattle, I always served Portteus (disclaimer: family bias) Cabernet Franc with fish.
cowprintrabbit at 9:39AM on 09/08/09
Pinot Noir and salmon are a near-classic match. As Mr. Meatloaf says, "Give me a good wine and a good meal, and I'll make 'em go together."
The wine police are an endangered species, thank goodness. If you like it, do it.
lemons at 9:52AM on 09/08/09
In agreement with others...It depends entirely on how the type of fish and how it is prepared. There are many red wines (some mentioned above) that work very well. Of course the reverse is true too. Many whites are terrific pairings with pork, poultry and red meat. It is not just about the protein. You have to consider everything on the plate and its relationship to the flavors of the wine.
derosa at 11:45AM on 09/08/09
A wine afficionado I'm not but here goes a fractured description. I like a "lighter bodied" red wine with fish. This holds true if the fish is prepared with bold flavors like garlic. If fish is prepared with bold flavors, white wine doesn't even seem to register.
therealchiffonade at 12:42PM on 09/08/09
Once I almost ruined a lovely crab au gratin dish by persisting with a very dry white wine. Did not taste good together. Gave up and had a glass of pinot noir and they were delicious.
duncan1205 at 1:46PM on 09/08/09
Very Elizabethan... red wine poached salmon with oranges.
Pointy at 5:51PM on 09/08/09
Drink what you like. Personally, I don't drink reds unless I want to be violently sick the next day. So if I'm drinking wine, I drink white with whatever I'm eating.
Obviously, there are things that go better together, but if you don't like one of the pair, it's not a requirement. Rules about wines are not law. People who don't drink alcohol don't run around sniffing that Pepsi is better with this dish, Coke is required with that one, and root beer is the only choice for the other. And most people who prefer beer or cocktails will drink what they like with whatever they choose to eat.
I'd rather drink a wine that I like instead of one that I like less that's supposed to pair with a particular dish.
dbcurrie at 2:58AM on 09/09/09
Red totally will work! Especially if the fish or shellfish is being paired with mushrooms or mustard. I had a crab cake appetizer with a creamy mustard sauce at a local place recently that was paired with a pinot noir and it was a total revelation!
People have also mentioned salmon, but tuna works too with a pinot noir (try blitzing a couple dried shiitakes with some flour, salt and pepper in a food processor until the mushrooms are ground finely and coating the tuna with that before you pan sear. It's amazing!).
I'd imagine that other oily fish are good with reds too, like mackeral or bluefish because the astringency of the tannins would temper the richness of the fish. Just a guess though.
Amandarama at 7:25AM on 09/09/09
Fresh Line Cought Sea Bass with a tomato compote and Cabernet Sauvignon!
I'm glad others feel the same way i do! Heck with the white for fish and red for meat "rules". The truth is reds can and do go with some fish and sea food dishes.
Chef316 at 2:02AM on 09/22/09