The best wine pairings with monkfish

Monkfish (or lotte, as the French call it) is a meaty fish that is often roasted so pairs equally well with red wine as with white. In fact a lightly chilled red wine would generally be my preferred match, particularly if it’s wrapped in pancetta or bacon

Wines to drink with roast monkfish

Pinot noir
I’d choose a pinot with some fresh acidity rather than too much sweet fruit so a pinot from Burgundy, Germany (where it’s known as spätburgunder), Sonoma, Oregon or the Marlborough region of New Zealand rather than Central Otago or Chile

Mencia
A fashionable red from the north of Spain that tastes a bit like a cross between pinot noir and Loire cabernet franc (which you could also drink)

A full-bodied oaked white wine such as a Douro white (there’s a good story about this one!) or an oaked white rioja.

Albarino
Again from Spain this fresh-tasting white is always a safe bet with seafood, and would be a good choice if the monkfish is served with a lemony sauce

Monkfish with Provençal flavours like tomatoes and saffron

Try a strong southern French rosé such as Bandol or a good Languedoc rosé

Monkfish in red wine sauce

I’d choose a more full-bodied red like a merlot

Image © Comugnero Silvana at fotolia.com

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