The best wine pairings for turbot (updated)

Turbot is a luxurious fish you might well be serving over the holiday period, most probably roast or seared. But what sort of wine should you pair with it?

Personally I prefer a white to a red - a serious white burgundy or other equally lush full-bodied white.

It’s often served with a deeply savoury sauce, sometimes with mushrooms that suits a white with some bottle age.

Here are some whites to choose from

*oaked white Rioja - consistently undervalued, rich savoury fish dishes like this are where white rioja comes into its own.

*top quality Douro whites

*white Hermitage or white Saint Joseph - depending on your budget (in other words a Roussanne or Marsanne or blend of the two). And, by similar logic, a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape which is what we drank for my last big birthday as you can see here. 

*white Roussillon wines based on Grenache Gris and/or Grenache Blanc - or white Minervois as in this post

*white burgundy or other serious chardonnay - particularly if you’re serving your turbot with a buttery sauce such as beurre blanc. That includes aged Grand Cru Chablis

*aged dry white Bordeaux

*good quality Soave

*top quality vintage champagne is always a winner with rich fish. Here are 3 pairings from a Leclerc Briant lunch that made my Match of the Week slot.

*sake (I haven’t tried this I must confess but it strikes me it would work really well)

If you do want to drink red I’d suggest a mature red burgundy or other good quality pinot noir though there’s no reason why you shouldn’t drink a more robust red like a Bordeaux if the sauce includes red wine.

Image ©Jacek Chabraszewski at shutterstock.com