Which Red Wine to Pair With Fish?

PINOT NOIR FOR DELICACY AND FINESSE

You've probably heard time and time again that fish dishes are best served with white wine and that you can't serve red. Well, you can, but be careful! In fact, the danger in this pairing comes from the fact that the tannins contained in red wines react badly to the flesh of the fish. The proteins in fish are very different from those found in meat, making the red wine/fish pairing unpleasant. A metallic, tinned taste sets in, destroying the flavours not only of the dish but also of the wine. To accompany a fish dish, prefer a light wine, with little or no tannins.

BURGUNDY PINOT NOIR

Pinot Noir is the ideal grape variety. Not only are the wines made from this variety light, fine and elegant, but its tannins are discreet. As one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world, Pinot Noir can be found in several French vineyards, including Alsace, the Loire Valley and Champagne, which is internationally renowned for its bubbles. Burgundy, however, is undoubtedly the kingdom of Pinot Noir with its wines of unparalleled purity and elegance. The finesse and precision of Burgundy wines can be used to enhance dishes.

AGED WINES WITH SMOOTH TANNINS

Wines with old vintages can correspond to the desired vintages. Indeed, the tannins of wines over ten years old have mellowed with time, reaching an ideal maturity. As the acidity has also calmed down, it is possible to match it with fish. In Burgundy, the sub-regional appellations tend to age more quickly. A five year old wine may well have reached ideal maturity.

WHICH FISH WITH RED WINE?

As the flesh of fish is special and the aromas are sometimes subtle and delicate, prefer fish with flavours such as trout, cod or even a steak of red tuna, whose flesh is more fleshy. These fish will go better with your red wine.

COOKING OF THE FISH

Because the type of cooking adds texture and flavour to the food, some types of cooking work better with red wine than others. First, forget about steaming. The flavours obtained from this type of cooking are too bland and are completely erased with red wine. Instead, opt for fish cooked a la plancha, on the grill or even on the barbecue: there will be cooking juices capable of marrying with the tannins. Depending on the spices used for cooking, as in the case of court bouillon, for example, the Syrah grape variety is well-suited to the match. The spicy aromas of the Syrah grape will be revealed and magnified by this type of cooking. The Crozes-Hermitage appellation offers wines in which the Syrah grape expresses itself perfectly for this type of food and wine pairing.

ACCOMPANYING SAUCE

This is what absolutely guides the choice of the wine to accompany a dish: the sauce! It is very important because it is central to the dish. Forget about white sauces such as butter or cream sauces, as the combination of red wine and dairy products is impossible. Tomato-based sauces are a favourite. Enjoy your glass of Pinot Noir with fish in a Provençal, Basque, Portuguese or mustard sauce. For a fish whose sauce is made with red wine, the pairing with a slightly more tannic wine is obvious! This is the case with lamprey à la bordelaise, whose sauce is made with red wine.