What Wine Goes With Fish: Tantalizing Pairing Ideas and Tips

Pairing your favorite fish dish with an irresistible wine is a great way to elevate your dining experience. 

But what wine goes with fish?

Although the general rule is to pair fish with white wine, the type of fish you use and the cooking style can influence the wine pairing. 

Let’s discover how to pair wine with the different types of fish. We’ll also explore the best wine pairings based on the fish preparation style and cover some general tips for the perfect wine and fish pairing.

How to Pair Wine with Different Types of Fish

Let’s see what wine goes with the different fish types:

1. Lean and Flakey Fish

2. Medium Textured Fish

3. Meaty Fish

4. Intensely Flavored Fish

1. Lean and Flakey Fish

Lean and flakey fish like sea bass, flounder, and other white fish has a delicate texture, which can be complemented by refreshing whites like: 

• Pinot Grigio
• Cava
• Pinot Blanc
• Sauvignon Blanc
• unoaked Chardonnay

2. Medium Textured Fish

Medium textured fish, like catfish, snapper, black cod, and halibut, is also flaky but has a firmer texture. 

This type of fish can hold up to more full-flavored wine styles like:

• Chardonnay 
• California Sauvignon Blanc
• Dry Riesling
• Pinot Grigio

3. Meaty Fish

Meaty fish like swordfish, tuna, salmon, and mahi-mahi are usually oily fish with a texture similar to red meat. 

Meatier fish pairs splendidly with full-flavored white wines and some Rosés. For example:

• Oaked Chardonnay
• Vintage Champagne
• Dry Rosé wine
• White Burgundy
• Grenache Blanc

4. Intensely Flavored Fish

Intensely flavored fish like anchovies and sardines are irresistible when paired with refreshing white wines. You can also pair them with red wine because of their intense flavor. 

Intensely flavored tastes superb paired with:  

• Champagne
• Lambrusco
• dry Rosé wine
• Cava

Best Wines Based on Fish Preparation Style

The way you prepare your fish can also influence your wine choice. 

Here are our favorite wine pairings based on the method of preparation of the fish dish.

1. Fried Fish

2. Seared and Grilled Fish

3. Fish Cooked in Sauce

4. Fish Curry

5. Smoked Fish

6. Sushi and Uncooked Fish

1. Fried Fish

Salty fried fish dishes perfectly compliment the sweetness of Italian sparkling white wines like Prosecco. 

The crisp, citrusy sweetness and acidity of Chenin Blanc also make for an ideal pairing for fish fried in a beer batter. 

Wine Suggestions: 

• 2018 Bisol Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG, Veneto, Italy ($43)
• 2017 Alheit Vineyards 'Magnetic North' Mountain Makstok Chenin Blanc, South Africa ($100)

2. Seared and Grilled Fish

Seared or grilled fish dishes pair marvelously with Pinot Gris because of the wine’s high acidity and fruity flavour.

The crisp dryness and lovely acidity of an Italian or French Pinot Gris are the perfect accompaniment to seared mackerel or grilled salmon. You could also opt for an  American Pinot Gris, which is less acidic.

Wine Suggestions: 

• 2001 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris Altenbourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles, Alsace, France ($926)
• 2019 Vera Vinho Verde, Portugal ($14)

3. Fish Cooked in Sauce

When fish is cooked in sauce, it’s best to opt for a wine that shares similar characteristics to the sauce. 

For example, a fish cooked in a zesty lemon sauce pairs excellently with wines that have a more citrusy flavor, like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. 

Creamy sauces pair well with buttery wine like an oaky Chardonnay.

If the fish is cooked in a darker sauce, you could pair it with red wine or full-bodied white wine. If you’re serving fish cooked in a sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce, you can pair it with a bottle of delicious fruity Lambrusco. 

Wine Suggestions: 

• 2013 Weingut Tement Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Lage, Steiermark, Austria ($66)
• 2019 Cantina Settecani Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Emilia-Romagna, Italy ($14) 

 4. Fish Curry

More acidic white wines (like  Gewürztraminer) can balance the spiciness of Thai and Indian fish curries. 

Sweet wine (like Riesling or Moscato) can tame the spiciness and enhance the flavour of fish curry. 

Avoid wines with a high alcohol content as alcohol intensifies the heat of ingredients like ginger and chili. 

Wine Suggestions: 

• 2019 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany($259)
• 1961 Massandra Collection White Muscat, Crimea ($357)

5. Smoked Fish

Whether it's smoked salmon, freshwater fish like trout, or sea bass, this preparation style results in slightly drier meat. 

Garnacha, vintage Champagne, Rosé sparkling wine, dry Riesling, or Furmint (Tokaji) wines will complement the dryness and balance the smoky flavors of the dish. 

Wine Suggestions: 

• 2013 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha, Campo de Borja, Spain ($50)
• 1983 Dom Perignon Brut, Champagne, France ($586)

6. Sushi and Uncooked Fish

When pairing wine and sushi, or other uncooked fish dishes like ceviche, it’s best to opt for a light wine with delicate flavors and high acidity to cut through the intense flavors. 

Most sparkling and bone dry white wines like Muscadelle, Assyrtiko, Vinho Verde, Albariño, and Trebbiano are great pairing with these fish dishes. 

Wine Suggestions: 

• 2008 Royal Tokaji Essencia, Tokaj, Hungary ($1470)
• 2020 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Portugal ($18)

General Tips for Wine and Fish Pairing

Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind when pairing wine and fish:

1. Don’t be afraid to pair certain fish with red wine

Strong-flavored fish dishes can be paired with red wine since they can balance out the wine’s tannins. Delicate fish can also be paired with red wine when it's cooked in a spicy, bold-tasting sauce. 

If you’re opting for red wine with fish, it’s best to stick to lighter reds like a Pinot Noir or Gamay. That’s because a full-bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon might overpower the more delicate fish dishes.   

2. Match fish dishes with wines that originate in the same region

Wines and fish dishes from the same region taste great together.

For example, you could pair a seafood paella (which has both fish and shellfish) with a Spanish Tempranillo. And an Italian anchovy pasta in a tomato sauce tastes divine with a Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige in Italy. 

3. Not all fish pairs well with white wine

Although most fish dishes go well with white wines, that’s not always the case. 

Certain fish, like monkfish, have a strong flavor that can overpower light white wine styles. In this case, a lovely medium-bodied red wine would be a better choice.  

Now that you’ve figured out what wine goes with fish, are you ready to pick some of the best wines for your collection? 

Delectable Wines to Elevate Your Next Fish Recipe!

Pairing your favorite seafood dish with the right wine can enhance the meal’s flavor and take it to new heights.  

So be sure to try some of the sumptuous wine recommendations in this wine pairing guide. 

And, if you’re looking for a fine, rare wine to invest in, you can find some fantastic vintages on Vinovest. So, start exploring all the divine wines from around the world and build an enviable wine collection.