The best wines to pair with fish soups and stews (new)

Fish soup is often more of a main course than a starter so a dish you might well want to pair with wine. And depending how much fish it has in it it may be more like a stew.

There are some famous ones like Provencal fish soup, bouillabaisse, chowder and cioppino which all tend to have some quite feisty flavours but at the end of the day we’re talking about fish which generally means white wine rather than red.

If you want to know what wine goes with a particular fish soup or stew think about the areas that fish soups come from it should give you a steer - the south of France, the east coast of the US, even Brazil.

What would they drink locally? (That could be beer, just as easily as wine ...)

Here are some suggestions

Provencal fish soup

This dark intense fish soup which you also find in the Languedoc is served with croutons and rouille - a spicy, garlicky mayonnaise which makes it quite punchy. Personally I like a Picpoul with it but a crisp dry Provence rosé will work too and actually this is one of those fish soups that is fine with a red. Something like an inexpensive Côtes du Rhône or Costières de Nîmes.

Bouillabaisse

Another southern French fish stew - chunkier than the Provencal fish soup - and not quite as intense. Sometimes it includes fennel or pernod, maybe saffron or a touch of orange which inclines me more towards white Côte du Rhône or similar white blend of grenache,marsanne, roussanne, and viognier.

But given the amount of fish in it classic fish whites such as Picpoul, pinot grigio and albarino should work too or a strong, savoury dry southern French rosé like a Bandol

Bourride

Also from the south of France. Creamier than boullabaisse and quite garlicky. I’d try a rolle aka vermentino. Cassis would be great if you can lay your hands on a bottle, Picpoul would work again if you can’t. And Gavi from neighbouring Italy should work too.

photo by SYED IBAD RM at shutterstock.com

Crab or lobster bisque

Given this is a luxurious soup I’d go for a white burgundy or other creamy chardonnay or chenin blanc

Photo by SYED IBAD RM at shutterstock.com

Chowder

Chowder is characterized by its creaminess as much as its fishiness which suggests a light, not too oaky chardonnay. Chablis would be perfect. You could also try a smooth dry Italian white like a Gavin di Gavi or a Soave

The same type of wines will go with the Scottish dish Cullen Skink which is made with smoked haddock though you could also pair it with a dry cider or light malt whisky.

Cioppino and other tomato-based fish stews

Crisp dry white wines like pinot grigio, alberino and alvarinho would all work

Tom yum. Photo by Melandaaini at shutterstock.com

Tom yum (Thai fish soup)

Often served as part of a Thai meal that includes other dishes. Limey rieslings like Clare and Eden Valley riesling from South Australia go well with Thai food.

Prawn laksa

Laksa goes particularly well with dry(ish) riesling like the German riesling in this post. Alsace or New Zealand pinot gris should work too.

The best food pairings for prawns or shrimp

Moqueca

Brazilian fish stew - often served with corn. Brazilians would almost certainly drink a light lager with it. I also like the idea of a Torrontes from Argentina. There’s a recipe for moqueca on the site here.

Waterzooi - Belgian fish soup

Given this comes from Belgium it really has to be beer rather than wine. I’d go for a witbier or other wheat beer myself but you could go for a similar wine to a chowder.

Top photo by javarman at shutterstock.com

Which wines and beers pair best with mushrooms?

If you think of the ingredients that show off a great wine mushrooms would have to be near the top of the list.

Possessed of the sexy ingredient umami - the intensely savoury taste identified by the Japanese, they flatter and act as the perfect foil for wines as disparate as vintage Champagne, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Beers too can work well, particularly dark lagers and brown ales, less fashionable styles but ones which have a real affinity with earthy mushroom flavours.

Like any other ingredient it depends how you prepare and cook mushrooms, of course and what other ingredients there are in the dish. Delicate wild mushrooms in a creamy sauce are a different proposition from big flat Portabello mushrooms baked with garlic and parsley.

Here are some suggestions:

• Mushrooms in a creamy sauce - possibly the ultimate preparation so far as wine is concerned whether it’s the base of a tart, a pasta sauce or simply on toast. You can mirror the creamy texture with a like-meets-like pairing of a fine white burgundy or other oak-aged Chardonnay, lift the dish while echoing its umami flavours with vintage Champagne or pick up on the mushrooms’ earthiness with a red burgundy or other Pinot Noir. For a not-so-special occasion a simple unoaked Chardonnay will do the trick.

• Mushroom risotto - Smooth dry Italian whites such as Soave and Gavi work well. If the mushroom content is predominantly porcini try an aged Italian red such as Barolo or vintage rosé Champagne.

• Duxelles - an unfashionable but wonderful way of cooking mushrooms (chopping them very finely then sauteing them in butter with onion until the mixture is completely dry). A perfect match for a great Pinot Noir.

• Mushrooms in tomato sauce - a combination most likely to be found in Italian dishes especially pasta sauces. Sangiovese and Sangiovese blends (e.g. Chianti Classico) tend to be the best match but a Belgian dubbel beer or Viennese-style lager can work well.

• Baked or stuffed Portabello mushrooms - have the meaty quality of a steak so can be paired with almost any robust red such as Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz or, if the dish contains cheese, Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Steak and mushroom (or simply mushroom) pie - Depends on the base of the sauce. If it’s wine-based, a full-bodied red, as above (a good Côtes du Rhône Villages or Languedoc red like a Faugères would also work). If the sauce is more like a gravy or has a dark mushroom flavour try a full-flavoured ale such as a dark Belgian Trappist beer, a northern French bière de garde, a brown ale or a strong English ale.

• Mushroom soup - Depends how creamy it is. If it’s quite light I’d go for a Chardonnay (see mushrooms in creamy sauce above) If it’s more intensely mushroomy or includes mustard (there’s a good recipe in my book An Appetite for Ale!) I’d choose a dark beer like Westmalle Dubbel or even a stout or porter.

• Mushroom quiche - Again how mushroomy is the dish? If the predominant flavour is cream, eggs and cheese I’d probably pick a white burgundy or Pinot Blanc. If the mushroom flavour is more powerful I’d revert to Pinot Noir.

• Mushrooms à la grècque or preserved in oil - a classic Italian-style antipasto that will work with almost any crisp, dry Italian or Italian-style white or a dry rosé. You could drink a pilsner or Kolsch with it successfully too.

• Oyster/shitake mushrooms with soy - Unlikely to be served on its own unless it’s part of a vegetable stir-fry so you’re probably going to be looking for a wine that will perform well with a selection of Chinese or Chinese-style dishes. Ripe fruity reds such as new world Pinot Noir, Merlot or even young Rioja can work surprisingly well. For a lighter dish or selection of dishes try a dry (and I mean dry) Riesling from Alsace or Austria.

What’s the best wine pairing for tuna?

Tuna is a meaty fish which adapts just as well to a red wine as to a white. So which to choose?

There are two guidelines to consider when it comes to pairing wine with tuna: 

* First, how it’s cooked. Is it rare, seared or preserved (canned or bottled)?

* Second, the style of the dish. Does it incorporate Japanese flavours? Are there other ingredients on the plate that might influence the match such as a citrussy glaze or salsa?

In this guide, I’ll delve into the best wines to pair with different styles of tuna, covering everything from crisp whites that cut through the richness to bold reds that stand up to more intense preparations. You’ll also find links to some specific matches that were particularly worth remembering.

Wine with tuna quick guide:

• Raw tuna: Chilled sake or a very dry white (e.g. Chablis)
• Seared tuna: A light red (e.g. Chinon) or Spanish rosé
• Grilled tuna: Syrah or Barbera
• Canned tuna: Dry Italian white (e.g. Verdicchio) or Provençal rosé

Of course, it all depends on the specific dish. Read on for my favourite wine pairings for tuna you might like to try.

Popular ways of serving tuna and the wines to go with them

Seared tuna
A light red or strong dry southern French or Spanish rosé is perfect with seared tuna - a Loire red such as a Chinon or Bourgueil or a light red burgundy if it’s simply seasoned, a fruitier New World Pinot Noir if you’re giving it a spicier treatment. If it’s chargrilled on the barbecue and served rare like a steak you can bring on a beefier red such as a Syrah or Barbera.

Seared tuna with sesame and Elephant Hill Syrah

Raw or near-raw tuna e.g. sashimi. tuna tartare
Popular in Japanese-style dishes so may well include Japanese ingredients with a touch of sweetness such as mirin or Japanese rice vinegar. I personally enjoy chilled sake with this style of presentation but a very dry white such as a Chablis, Muscadet-sur-lie or Grüner Veltliner also works well as does, more surprisingly, a lush white grenache

Tuna tataki and grenache blanc

Tuna tartare with wasabi aioli and grüner veltliner

Tuna carpaccio
Sliced raw tuna, often dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s light and delicate so needs a wine that doesn’t overpower the fish. Similar pairings to tuna tartare work here, particularly a mineral-driven dry white. You could also go for a light bodied Pinot Grigio or even champagne. 

Glazed tuna with citrus e.g. with yuzu or lime and coriander
Still possible to serve a light red (citrus will accentuate its fruitiness) but you might also want to consider a fruity white such as a Semillon-Sauvignon blend, an oaked Sauvignon Blanc, a Verdelho or a dry Riesling.

Salads with tinned or bottled tuna e.g. salade Niçoise, tonno e fagioli
Something quite light and quaffable. A inexpensive dry Italian white such as a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi or a dry Provençal rosé such as a Bandol rosé

Salade niçoise and rosé

Tuna pasta bake
Not my favourite way of eating tuna, if truth be told, but as it’s creamy and slightly cheesy an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay should hit the spot.

Photo ©petrrgoskov at fotolia.com

What wine to pair with corn

Eating corn on the cob is one of the pleasures of high summer especially now there are so many different ways to cook it. But if you love corn or sweetcorn what wine should you pair with it?

There’s one wine that really stands out for me and that’s chardonnay - especially when you slather the corn in butter. But grilled corn too works well especially with a full bodied oaky chardonnay (though see my note below about south-east asian flavours)

Really it depends whether you’re having the corn on its own or, more likely, with other elements of a meal as in a barbecue

Other rich whites worth trying are oaked white rioja, Spanish godello, fiano from southern Italy and old vine chenin blanc or Cape white blends from South Africa

Corn is of course a key ingredient in Mexican cuisine - think tortillas, tacos and tamales which may all inspire you to drink beer but wine can work too depending on the filling. (See this post on tacos)

If you’re serving corn alongside barbecued meat, on the other hand, you may want to go for a red like a mencia (again from Spain), rioja or a grenache or GSM blend

Griddled corn with chilli and lime and other south-east Asian flavours

Once you introduce zesty lime, chilli coriander or other Asian flavours think dry riesling or New Zealand sauvignon blanc rather than chardonnay.

Sauvignon would work with a corn salad with feta too, as would assyrtiko.

Corn fritters

Fried food goes with bubbles and fritters are no exception. Nothing fancy - a cava or a crémant would be perfect

Or for a non-alcoholic pairing you might want to try these sweetcorn, feta and green chilli waffles with pink grapefruit juice, a previous match of the week.

Cornbread or muffins

Unlikely to be served on their own so pair with whatever else is on the plate whether it’s a barbecue or brunch. As a matter of interest I once found a coffee-infused pale ale was brilliant with a jalapeno cornbread! Coffee too if it’s brunch, obviously.

Creamed corn or corn chowder

We’re back at chardonnay again - a fresh creamy one rather than a full-bodied oaky one, I suggest. Chablis, for example. Or a smooth Italian white like a Gavi di Gavi or a Soave

Tamales

Although the stuffing is based on corn (masa) it’s generally mixed with another ingredient which may be more important to match. Chardonnay again would work with seafood or chicken but if it’s pork, beef or lamb try a young rioja or other tempranillo, a petite sirah or a malbec. (There’s a good explanation about tamales on the Spruce Eats website for those of you who are not familiar with them)

See also Ottolenghi’s slow-cooked chicken with a crisp corn crust

Polenta

Generally served with a stew or roast meat so I’d again be inclined to focus on that though maybe make it an Italian red like barbera.

Image by Rimma Bondarenko at shutterstock.com