Pairings | Sauvignon-Semillon
Best food pairings with sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc is many people’s favourite wine but what type of food pairs with it best?
As with other grape varieties its style varies markedly from one part of the world to the other - from the crisp minerally whites of the Loire to the exuberant gooseberry and passionfruit flavours of sauvignons from New Zealand’s Marlborough region.
Although many are interchangeable so far as food pairings are concerned others suit specific types of dishes and ingredients
Sauvignon blanc food pairing guide
Minerally sauvignon blancs
For instance: Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and sauvignon blanc from Tasmania
This is the style I’d pair with simple, barely seasoned ingredients such as raw and lightly cooked shellfish like oysters and shell-on prawns, fresh crab and simply grilled fish such as sea bass.
They also go well with dishes that contain raw or barely cooked tomato such as gazpacho, tomato consommé or tomato vinaigrettes and young goats’ cheeses - or salads that contain goats cheese and have an affinity with fresh herbs especially dill
And this style of sauvignon is a good wine match with Japanese dishes such as sushi and sashimi, seafood-based steamed and fried dim sum and smoked salmon, particularly if the smoke is delicate.
Citrussy sauvignon blancs
For instance: unoaked white Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc from the Adelaide Hills and Chilean sauvignon blanc.
I like this more citrussy style with grilled fish , especially oily fish such as sardines and mackerel, big garlicky prawns and chargrilled squid. They also pair well with fried fish like goujons, whitebait and fish and chips and with simply grilled chicken or lamb (without a powerful marinade)
In terms of ethnic cuisines they work well with Greek and Mexican food and other fresh-tasting dishes with avocados, tomatoes, green onions, olives and sharp cheeses like feta (though be careful not to neutralise their character with over-lemony dressings)
They also pair well with cheeses flavoured with garlic and herbs such as Le Roulé and Boursin. And this, in my view, is the best type of sauvignon blanc to drink with globe artichokes.
Aromatic/grassy/’herbaceous’ sauvignon blancs and sauvignon blends
For instance New Zealand sauvignon blanc and wines from cooler regions elsewhere such as South Africa’s Elgin region
I tend to reach for these with salads especially if they contain seafood and/or ‘grassy’ ingredients such as asparagus, pea-shoots, green peppers and herbs.
You can drink them with similar dishes to minerally sauvignon blancs but where the flavours are more pronounced e.g. seafood with south-east Asian flavours such as lime, chilli and coriander or Thai fish cakes. Try them with pea soups and dishes accompanied by pea purées too.
See also The best food matches with New Zealand sauvignon blanc
Oaked sauvignons and sauvignon/semillon blends
For instance: oaked white Bordeaux and fumé blanc styles
You can drink these where you might reach for a chardonnay or straight semillon - with white meats such as chicken or veal especially if accompanied by a creamy sauce or with spring vegetables such as asparagus and peas. Pasta dishes with spring vegetables and buttery or creamy sauces work well too.
They also suit simply grilled or pan-fried salmon, scallops and lightly smoked fish such as smoked eel and trout.
Top image © HLPhoto at fotolia.com
The best wine matches for fishcakes (updated)
Fishcakes are one of the ultimate comfort foods - but is there an equally comforting wine pairing?
In general they go well with dry white wines, however it depends what type of fish and other ingredients you use and whether you’re serving a sauce or salsa alongside.
You’ll want a different wine with a classic salmon fishcake with a hollandaise, for example than a Thai fishcake with a sweet chilli sauce which might well be served alongside other dishes.
Here are some good wines to choose from:
Salmon fishcakes
Salmon fishcakes are quite rich and often served with a butter sauce such as hollandaise. I tend to favour the same types of wine as I’d pick for a fish pie - unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc or a Sauvignon/Semillon blend such as you find in Bordeaux or the Margaret River region of Australia
‘Melting middle’ fishcakes
‘Melting middle’ fishcakes, often with an oozy cheese filling have become a popular supermarket staple in recent years. Given they’re on the richer side they’re also a good match for Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
White fish cakes with parsley
Not being quite as rich these are fine with a lighter, crisper white such as Albarino, Muscadet, Picpoul de Pinet or Pinot Grigio. A minerally Sauvignon Blanc like a Sancerre is a good pairing too
Maryland crab cakes
Crab has a delicate flavour which again responds well to an elegant dry white wine such as a Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or albarino but would be great with a glass of champagne or crémant too
Fishcakes with chorizo
The chorizo brings a spicy meaty element to a fishcake that makes a medium-bodied red wine as good a match as a white. I’d be inclined to pick an inexpensive red Côtes du Rhône red but a full-bodied white from the region would work too.
Thai fish cakes
Here the seasoning is all-important together with the sweet chilli sauce with which they’re often served. I’d tend to go for a dry Riesling - particularly Clare or Eden Valley Riesling though you could also drink a New Zealand - or other zesty - Sauvignon Blanc. Witbier/bière blanche (wheat beer) is also a really good match
See also 4 good wines to pair with fish pie
Photo ©Magdanatka at shutterstock.com
Top wine pairings with scallops
Scallops are some of the most delicious seafood around and some of the most flattering to a serious white wine.
They’re also incredibly quick and easy to cook which makes them a great choice for a romantic dinner for two, especially with a wine lover!
When it comes to pairing wine and scallops there’s one grape variety that will almost always see you right but in this brief guide I’ve given some other options depending on the other ingredients in the dish.
Grilled or seared scallops
Searing scallops enhances their sweetness and makes them a sure-fire match with chardonnay.
Almost any kind especially white burgundy - it’s a great way to show off an older vintage. Old vine chenin blanc is also a good match.
Champagne, especially a blanc de blancs, is not too shabby either.
The best food pairings with white burgundy
Scallops with pea purée or pea shoots
Bring peas - or asparagus into the equation and I’d probably go for a sauvignon or sauvignon-semillon blend such as you find in Bordeaux or Western Australia. Albarino is also a good match
Coquilles Saint Jacques or other scallop dishes with a creamy sauce
Back to chardonnay again for this classic dish. Especially Chablis
Scallops served with Asian-style dressing
Give scallops an Asian twist as in this recipe and I’d reach for a dry or off-dry riesling
Scallop and crab or lobster risotto
Risotto immediately makes a scallop dish richer especially if it also includes crab or lobster. You have a choice: you can go for a matching richness (yup, chardonnay again) or a smooth Italian white like a Gavi or Soave or for a contrast in terms of a wine that will bring a zing of freshness to the dish as I did here.
Scallops with pancetta or chorizo
Sometimes scallops are given more robust treatment and partnered with bacon, pancetta, chorizo or even black pudding. In that case you can drink a light red like a pinot noir or a Beaujolais. Lightly chilled, I suggest.
For other insights see this account of Rye Bay Scallop Week
Image © Oran Tantapakul at fotolia.com
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