Pairings | Arroz negro

The best pairings for albarino (and alvarinho)

Posted by Fiona Beckett on August 1 2024 at 07:21

If I had to sum up the best food pairing for albarino in one word it would be seafood. Which makes sense considering where it comes from on the coast of Galicia in the Rias Baixas region of northern Spain.

It has that distinctive salty tang you get from another of the country’s iconic wines, manzanilla sherry which makes it a great match for all kinds of raw and lightly cooked shellfish but as I discovered from a recent tasting with Mar de Frades there are more complex oaked versions which can handle richer fuller flavours.

The same suggestions apply to its Portuguese counterpart alvarinho which is made just over the border in the Vinho Verde region

Best pairings for young fresh albarinos

Oysters

Fresh white crab

Fresh prawns or shrimp

Mixed shellfish platters

Steamed mussets or clams

Simply grilled fish such as seabass, squid or sardines

Light creamy cheeses like this dish of burrata and beetroot as well as goats cheese

Seafood pastas and risotti like this smoked haddock and leek risotto

Ceviche (marinated raw fish)

Sushi and sashimi

Best pairings for more mature complex albarinos

Caribenero prawns with garlic

Seafood stews

Seared scallops

Arroz negro (black rice with seafood)

Which wines to pair with calamari/squid

Posted by Fiona Beckett on May 28 2021 at 07:57

Calamari or squid is often served as a starter or appetiser with other dishes so you need to bear that in mind when you’re choosing a wine to pair with it. It also depends on the way you prepare it.

Except when it's cooked with red wine I'd say that almost any crisp citrussy white would work, sauvignon blanc being the obvious option but plenty of French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese whites would work too: Picpoul, albarino, Rueda, vinho verde - squid is really white wine-friendly.

Fried calamari or chipirones

Fried food is great with anything fizzy so a sparkling wine such as cava or a crémant would be perfect. Or if it’s part of a selection of Greek mezze, a crisp citrussy white like Assyrtiko. Chilled manzanilla sherry would also be brilliant especially with Spanish-style chipirones (baby squid).

Salt and pepper squid

A popular dish in Chinese restaurants. It may be more or less spicy but a dry riesling should work really well or, if it includes other Asian flavours as in this dish of this crispy chilli lime squid with edamame bean and coriander salad - maybe a pinot gris.

Chargrilled squid

Often squid is cooked on the grill or over an open fire which makes the dish more robust. A slightly richer white such as a good albarino can handle that. A Provençal rosé - especially a Bandol rosé - would also be great.

Braised squid with red wine

A chef friend of mine used to cook a dish of squid with red wine, orange and fennel which definitely made it a red wine rather than a white wine dish. A juicy Spanish red such as Bobal or a young rioja would work really well

Risotto nero, squid ink linguini and other dishes with squid ink

Squid ink adds a savoury, slightly saline boost to a dish but basically it’s a case of the same type of crisp dry white. Something like a Greco di Tufo or a Rueda as in this pairing from a Spanish holiday a couple of years ago. Albarino should work well too as you can see from this pairing with arroz negro.

And if you want to try cooking squid for yourself try this delicious recipe for Barbequed brochette of prawns, squid and courgette with sauce vierge.

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