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There’s more to drinking wine with fish than just selecting the driest white available. Fish comes in a range of styles, textures and flavours, each with the potential to create complex and delicious pairings with wine. Whether in a restaurant or at home, we can help you find the best wine with fish pairing – read our guide now.
Do you serve red wine or white wine with fish?
Would you be surprised if we said the answer is … both?
One of the most widely accepted rules to follow when pairing food with wine is to match colour – pair white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. But flavour and body should also be considered, with many fruity, medium-bodied reds perfectly pairing with various fish dishes.
When looking for the right red or white wine to pair, paying attention to the type of fish you’re serving and how you’re cooking it is key.
Fish types and wine pairings
Lean, flaky white fish
Lean and flaky white fish such as plaice, Dover or lemon sole and perch are all native to UK shores. These fish are characterised by their delicate flavours and flaky, tender meat and require gentle cooking to avoid drying out or breaking apart. When cooked perfectly, these fish are often described as having a light, “creamy” texture.
You’ll want an equally delicate, light white wine to pair with these delicate fish. Opt for a dry white such as an Italian Pinot Grigio, Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Portuguese Albariño – all would be excellent pairings, with their bright acidity, citrus flavours and herbal, peppery hints.
Medium-flaky white fish
Fishes in this category include the popular cod, haddock, sea bass and trout. Lean, firm and moist, these fish are still flaky but have more bite than plaice or perch. With their lack of fattiness and succulent texture when cooked to perfection, medium-flaky fishes require a slightly bolder wine.
Trout and cod have less robust flavours than haddock or sea bass, so you’ll want a fuller-bodied wine with complementary citrus and herb flavours that won’t overpower the fish’s natural flavour. Chardonnay, either unoaked or lightly oaked, is a good answer. Haddock and sea bass (the bolder, meatier fish in this category) would pair deliciously with a rich Alsacian Pinot Gris.
“Meaty” fish
Popular because of their thick texture and fatty, heart-healthy quality, salmon, tuna, swordfish and monkfish are enjoyed across the world in various cuisines, from Japanese to Moroccan to Greek.
These fish are known for their naturally strong flavours and thicker texture, so a wine with bolder flavours and robust structure makes a successful pairing. We’d suggest a full-bodied white, such as an oaked Chardonnay or aromatic Viognier. But if you prefer red wines, a medium-bodied French Pinot Noir with high acidity helps cut through the richness of this type of fish. You could even pair a dry sparkling rosé with salmon or tuna to do the same.
Oily fish
For rich, oily fishes such as herring, anchovies, sardines and mackerel, the perfect wine pairing is less about finding flavours and body that match up and more about finding a wine that can cut through the oiliness but complement their meaty texture and strong flavours.
A zesty white wine with distinct citrus flavours can do just that. Albariño is an excellent choice, with zingy acidity and fresh flavours of lemon zest and grapefruit, plus hints of complementary salinity.
Shellfish
Shellfish, including scallops, mussels, crab and clams, are popular across the UK and found everywhere, from seaside cafes to high-end city restaurants.
With tender meat, a delicious coastal salinity and various flavours ranging from mild and delicate to rich and intense, matching a wine with shellfish may seem tricky. Yet, a variety of white wines pair beautifully. For scallops, we’d suggest an unoaked Chardonnay to complement their firm texture and mild flavours. But if you’ve chosen crab, instead, reach for a buttery oaked Chardonnay. For mussels and clams, a crisp Italian white is the answer, such as Sauvignon Blanc, with its green herbal flavours and tart acidity.
Classic wine and fish pairings
Fried fish
A staple in many British households, a plate of fried fish is a welcome sight, especially newspaper-wrapped from your local chippy. Traditional fish and chips in the UK typically use cod, but haddock and plaice are popular alternatives. Although a cheap and cheerful meal, it’s a perfect wine pairing that can feel surprisingly luxurious. A dry sparkling wine, such as Champagne, Prosecco or Cava, helps cut through the fattiness of the frying oil, while its fresh citrus flavours complement the flaky white fish, and lively bubbles introduce a fun texture alongside the crispy batter. This wine pairing works for a plate of fresh, crispy calamari, too!
Sushi
Light and delicious, sushi makes an easy, on-the-go lunch or fun, communal dinner. Featuring a variety of seafood, including tuna, salmon, crab, prawn and scallop, sushi can be paired with a range of different wines. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the most popular options, with Sauvignon Blanc or a light unoaked Chardonnay best suited to tempura shrimp, and an oaked style perfect for crab rolls and salmon or tuna nigiri.
Smoked salmon
A favourite of aperitifs and Sunday brunches, smoked salmon is a versatile salmon dish that can be paired with red, white and sparkling wines.
A dry Prosecco or Champagne is a festive choice, the high acidity and lively bubbles cutting through the rich, oily texture. With its smoky, more intense flavour, a rich, ripe red like a Beaujolais or Burgundy could work. If you prefer white wine, we’d suggest a Gewürztraminer with “spicy” aromas.
Oysters
A white sparkling wine is a common pairing with oysters, adding to the luxury feel. But if you want a more casual wine pairing, Picpoul de Pinet is the answer – a french white with a great saline edge known locally as “le vin des huîtres” or “the wine of oysters”. Chablis is another great choice – where the cool climate creates highly acidic, crisp white wines with a matching minerality and salinity. Fancy keeping it even easier? You can’t go wrong with a classically dry, racy Pinot Grigio instead.
Fish pie
A hearty dish, fish pie features a mix of fresh and smoked cod, haddock and salmon. Cheese also features heavily, adding to the creamy texture and crispy top. Because of this wide variety of fish types and flavours, you’ll want a versatile white wine that can cut through the creaminess but still add a hint of freshness. A lightly oaked Chardonnay is the wine for the job, with creamy, citrus flavours and balanced acidity.
Fish curry
Fish curries are a popular dish throughout South Asia, especially India. One of the most popular is Malabar Matthi, a Kerala-style curry featuring sardines. Other fish curries can feature chunks of firmer white fish, such as cod, red snapper and tilapia. Many fish curries heavily feature warming spices, meaning you’d need a wine that can battle the heat. Sweeter white wines such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer, or a fruit-forward Pinot Noir, served chilled, are delicious, reliable pairings for spicy dishes like curry.
Other things to remember for the perfect wine & fish pairing
There are a number of other factors to consider when selecting the right wine for your fish dish.
The cooking method, marinades and sauces can all drastically affect the flavour and texture of fish, meaning you may need to alter your wine choice to create a more delicious, complementary pairing.
About the author
Nikki Jacoby
Nikki has spent all her career in wine, selling it first by the spoken word, then as a writer in the publishing world, before returning to work within the Laithwaites’ copy team for most of the last 30 years. Many years ago, she passed both halves of the diploma, but the greatest education in wine has been a full immersion in it, visiting the places and talking to its many passionate producers. As a topic, it will never cease to fascinate.
