What to Drink With Sushi?

Our experts have taken a look at what to serve with exquisite morsels such as nigiri, maki, sashimi, temaki, and chirashi. Wine, Champagne, beer or sake can all offer the perfect dining pleasure!

What should you drink with sushi?

A flavour palAte for a range of different tones

The ready dish that can save a lunch on the go with colleagues, or dinner in front of a Sunday night movie.

Nigiri, maki, sashimi, temaki, chirashi, and oshi are considered exceptional delicacies in the Land of the Rising Sun. These little morsels of street food, popular all over Japan, have also become a big success all over the world.

Essentially made with raw fish or seafood, seaweed, vegetables and vinegared rice, sushi can be found in a variety of shapes and flavours: sea bream, blue fin tuna, skipjack tuna, shrimp, urchin, octopus, eel, avocado, cucumber, egg, tofu...

Dipped in a little soy sauce, maybe garnished with a hint of wasabi, and if this latter hasn’t been sweetened, then marinated ginger (gari) is a great way to refresh the palate. Accompanied with a miso soup or some raw red cabbage, a sushi platter creates a visual effect that pops!

Of course, when you’re tired of feasting your eyes, it’s the taste that counts: a palette of flavours in every different tone! The taste of the different ingredients, fish oil and soya, with the acid tingle of ginger and the sting of wasabi...

Our experts can reveal a trick when it comes to combining the complex elements of the gastronomic experience par excellence. They suggest combining a variety of possible combinations in a single glass: drinks that are nuanced and complex, whether you prefer wine, sparkling wine or sake. Chopsticks at the ready?

sushi and wine pairings

It needs to be a dry white!

Forget about robust reds - their tannins will go badly with the acidity of the vinegar, crushing the delicate flavour of the raw fish. Opt for a nice lively, light and crispy white.

A vivacious Chardonnay: Due their vivacity, cuvées with very few woody notes, made from a single grape variety make for a great pairing with shellfish, sea fish and green vegetables. Out of the most wonderful expressions of grape variety, we can suggest...

Bourgogne blanc AOC: Fine, generously aromatic wines with a nice dry and quite persistent taste.

• BOURGOGNE - CHARDONNAY - CLOSERIE DES ALISIERS

• ORGANIC BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY - CLOSERIE DES ALISIERS

Meursault blanc: A high-end gastronomic wine! Freshness and a lovely minerality that pair wonderfully with shellfish.

The bright, sunny aromas of the Viognier grape:

With their characteristic notes of white flowers and orange blossom, Viognier grapes make persistent wines, supported by a hint of bitterness and a sensation of firmness on the palate.

Condrieu AOC: A subtle wine with a bewitching bouquet and a beautifully restrained exuberance.

Dare to be exotic:

Languedoc Corbières AOC: How can you pass on our best-selling white wines from the Languedoc?! With its lightly exotic side, this white wine from Corbières adapts perfectly to a plate of sushi.

• BLANC DES DEMOISELLES - CELLIER DES DEMOISELLES

Douro DOC: The minerality of a Douro. A wine that starts out with an honest freshness, while still offering an excellent body through to the finish. It’s all about nuance!

Fine bubbles: Blanc de Blancs

Delicacies call for an excellent wine. So, bring out the big guns!

Choose a Blanc de Blancs for its lightness, freshness, minerality and floral aromas.

Take the opportunity to taste a wine that is also made exclusively with Chardonnay grapes, because yes, this is the dominant variety.

Blanc de Blanc wines stand out for their notes of brioche pastries and fresh butter, which pair beautifully with prawns and scallops. The effervescence of the wine contrasts the oiliness of raw fish, while offsetting the pungency of sauces or the acidity of pickled ginger.

Our suggestion:

Serve a Champagne with a great aromatic power, such as CHAMPAGNE RUINART BLANC DE BLANCS.

Chardonnay is the heart and soul of Maison Ruinart. The grapes mainly originate from Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims.

Our experts didn’t hesitate for a single second: The first impact on the nose is a whole world of delicacy, with notes of fresh fruit - especially ripe citrus. This makes way for a fine, floral bouquet with underlying notes of white flowers and fruits (white peach). On the palate, it starts out supple and smooth, with plenty of roundness supported by superb freshness. Notes of nectarines, citrus and a finish with lovely hints of minerality. A long finish that allows all the fullness of the aromas to open out on the palate.

Result: an arpeggio of refreshing flavours reveals all of the finesse of the accord. A sophisticated blend that guarantees the most surprising taste sensations. Perfect with more delicate morsels, like sushi.

Vinatis tasting expert