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When to pair red wine with fish
Few people now throw up their hands in horror at the idea of matching red wine with fish. But how many realise just how often you can pair the two?
Here are six occasions when I think you can:
When the fish is ‘meaty’
If that doesn’t sound a contradiction in terms! Tuna is an obvious example but swordfish, monkfish and, occasionally, salmon fall into that category. That doesn’t mean they should only be drunk with a red (think of salade Niçoise, for example, which is more enjoyable with a rosé) simply that reds - usually light ones like Pinot Noir and Loire Cabernet Franc - generally work.
When it’s seared, grilled or barbecued
Just like any other food, searing, grilling or barbecuing fish creates an intensity of flavour that cries out for a red, especially if the fish is prepared with a spicy marinade or baste. Even oily fish like mackerel and sardines can work with a light, chilled red if they’re treated this way.
When it’s roasted
Similar thinking. The classic example is roast monkfish, especially if wrapped in pancetta and served with a red wine sauce (see below) when it differs very little from a meat roast. You could even drink red with a whole roast turbot or brill (though I generally prefer white). Accompaniments such as lentils or mushrooms will enhance a red wine match.
When it’s served with meat
Surf’n’turf! Once meat is involved one inclines towards a red, certainly if that meat is steak. Spanish-style dishes that combine chorizo and fish like hake are a natural for reds (like crianza Riojas) too.
When it’s served in a Mediterranean-style fish soup or stew
A recent discovery - that a classic French Provençal soup with its punchy accompaniment of rouille (a mayonnaise-type sauce made with garlic, chilli and saffron) is great with a gutsy red (I tried it with a minor Madiran but any traditional southern or south-western red that wasn’t too fruit driven would work). It’s the slightly bitter saffron note that these soups and stews like bouillabaisse contain that seems to be the key. A sauce that had similar ingredients would work too as would this dish of braised squid above.
When it’s served with a red wine sauce
You might not think that you could serve a really powerful red wine sauce with fish but with a full-flavoured fish such as halibut or turbot it works. And the natural pairing is a substantial, but not overwhelmingly alcoholic or tannic red. Like a fleshy Merlot.
Photo © Belokoni Dmitri at shutterstock.com
Which foods pair best with high alcohol red wines?
Despite the growing concern about alcohol levels in wine many reds still clock in at 14.5% or more, a level at which they can become an unbalanced pairing for traditional European food. Many traditionalist would say that they are therefore not ‘food wines’ but as with other types of wine it depends how well they’re made and whether overall the wine is in balance. Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe for example rarely hits the shelves at under 14% but wears its alcohol lightly.
In general wines of this power benefit from at least a couple of years bottle ageing - it’s the combination of high alcohol and aggressive tannins that can overwhelm the food you’re eating. I’ve drunk many an Australian Shiraz of 7 to 8 years old that has behaved like a pussycat with food.
The best type of dishes in my view to drink with big reds are:
- Rare meat especially beef - e.g. a chargrilled steak (rare meat softens the effect of big tannins)
- Slow cooked but not heavily sauced meat (lamb and pork as well as beef) Not heavily sauced because if you have an intense reduction and a full-bodied red you can barely taste the meat you’re eating
- Meat cooked with a sweet marinade or baste - e.g. barbecued ribs Sweetness will enhance the acidity in the wine, making it taste fresher.
- Meat or ‘meaty’ fish like tuna cooked with a spicy rub or crust. A touch of spice offsets a big fruity red nicely though not a hot ‘wet’ curry with a lot of spicy sauce which will just create an sense of overload on the palate.
- Haggis! (Yes, really . . . )
- Strongly flavoured vegetarian dishes based on dark Portabella mushrooms or roast or baked aubergines
- Well matured hard cheeses or sheep's cheeses. Cheese can be a minefield for red wine as regular visitors to this site will know. A full bodied red will overwhelm delicate goats’ cheeses and are likely to clash horribly with a well-matured ‘stinky’ washed rind cheese or a punchy blue but should be OK with a dry, clean tasting hard cheese, especially a sheep's cheese (the easiest cheese to pair with red wine)
- Dark chocolate. A controversial pairing but many swear by big jammy reds and dark, not oversweet chocolate. Not for me but try it!
And the dishes that don’t match full-bodied reds?
Lighter fish and vegetable-based dishes, lighter meats like chicken and veal, milder cheeses and dishes with light creamy sauces.
Image © Christian Delbert - Fotolia.com
A Champagne dinner fit for sommeliers
One of the aspects of the World’s Best Sommelier competition I hadn’t really thought about is how on earth you create a menu for a roomful of sommeliers. And choose wine pairings they won’t be sniffy about. One way is to impress them with large format bottles and old vintages which is the route competition sponsor Moët et Chandon took . . .
They had shipped their winemaker Benoit Gouez over to Santiago for the event (a rash step, as it happens, as he was marooned by the volcanic ash and couldn’t fly back for a week). Here’s what we ate and drank:
Moët Imperial in magnum with foie gras canapés
I confess that despite my antipathy to foie gras I did nibble one of these to see how it went. OK - not stunning but everyone expects the French to serve foie gras (and are not usually disappointed). The Imperial shows well in magnum though - a classic aperitif Champagne.
Tartare of fish and shellfish with guacamole with Grand Vintage 2000 in magnum
A diplomatic nod to Chilean cuisine but to be honest the sharp, citrussy flavours didn’t do the resplendent 2000 many flavours. I made a note at the time the dish would have been better with Riesling and certainly with Sauvignon Blanc. Not that you had to stick to a classic French food. The champagne was almost a ‘rich’ style. A mildly spiced Thai or other south-east Asian dish would have matched better I reckon. Perhaps the dish just needed a little more spice but that’s not the Chilean way.
Conger fillet with sea urchins and risotto with Grand Vintage collection 1995
This, by contrast, was a totally stellar match. Sea urchins, as I’ve recently discovered, are a perfect partner for champagne, as is risotto and the 1995 tasted wonderfully fresh with it despite its age (it was disgorged in February 2008).
Lamb with mushrooms, truffle mousse and Grand vintage collection 1990
Another safe choice. Mushrooms and truffles are a sure-fire hit with old Champagne and it would have been a waste to pair this very rich, intense cuvée with anything less flattering. A great vintage still drinking beautifully.
Fruit poached with spices and sorbet with Grand Vintage Rosé 2003
By this stage in the meal the excitement about who was to go through to the semi-final rather dwarfed what was on the plate. The idea of pairing rosé and fruit - actually a poached pear dipped in milk chocolate - was a sound one but a younger non-vintage Champagne with brighter berry fruit would have possibly worked better. Or a more chocolatey dessert. Personally I'd be inclined to pair it with rare lamb or pigeon or possibly even cheese.
To be fair to Moët these occasions are tricky. It’s hard to control the quality of the food for such huge numbers and they focussed quite rightly on the wines. But the occasion does show that you can drink Champagne quite happily throughout a meal - even with meat. I did my best ;-)
I attended the dinner as a guest of Moët et Chandon
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