Wine and Fish. A great topic of discussion and one that I am very excited about exploring with you all today. I have decided to go traditional with my pairings here as I believe that realistically, it is difficult to go against the grain. They are traditionally perfect pairings for a reason - let us not forget that.
The glorious weather that we have been having over the past few days has also got me into the summer spirit. Let’s be honest it is June, so we should be feeling summery anyway!! At some point this summer when you are slightly tired of barbecued meat, this month’s blog will help you to choose which of your wines will go with your lovely fish dish. I will be talking about three white wines today: Torrontes, Saint Veran, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Each have unique and different flavours and it is for this very reason that we can pair them with very different types of fish… therefore we can cover all bases. Hopefully, you will be able to have almost any fish you like, knowing that you can pair it with one of the above! So, let’s get started:
Zuccardi Mendoza Valles Torrontes 2019
This is a very fragrant and crisp white wine. A lovely aroma on the nose of light fruits such as peaches, nectarines and lychee. Some floral notes coming through as well. On the mouth lychee comes to the forefront with hints of citrus running throughout. This is perfect with any dish that has spicy notes. Excellent with a Ceviche (Halibut or Sea Bass), also a prawn laksa for example and a seafood paella! I think you get the gist that this wine is extremely fragrant and light. Finishing nicely with those light fruits staying with you which leaves you wanting more. A great Torrontes from a great producer. Next up:
Domaine Thibert-Miranda Saint Veran ‘A La Cote’ 2016
One of my all-time favourite whites. I am sure you have heard me talk about this Domaine before - Ygor (the producer) truly does know how to make a wonderful white wine. We start with a burst of citrus, followed by a very linear acidity. Much like the Macon-Fuisse that they produce it has a lot of minerality and hints of stone fruits. The wine has a good complexity with a profound intensity. A perfect partner for your dover sole or fillet of plaice, slightly fattier fish such as the two mentioned would be a great fit. You could also have this with a fish stew or fish pie if you wanted. The body of the Saint Veran will easily stand up to the extra flavours in those dishes and will pair wonderfully. As a footnote I would also just say that this particular wine would be a lovely aperitif for having friends over, mainly for BBQ days as it is still refreshing given the age that it currently holds. I promise you won’t be disappointed! Finally we have:
La Bastide Saint Dominique Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2019
I have not tried this wine admittedly since we first imported it. However, when looking back over my notes I discovered three words that summed this up rather nicely… “Wow how different!” I am not sure how many of you will have tried a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape, so as a starting point I would like to advise you that it will not taste like anything you have had before. This wine in particular is very powerful yet has lovely floral and mineral notes. Throughout the tasting you will sense white peaches, pears, honey and a small amount of citrus. The body however on this wine, as already mentioned, is very robust and powerful. That is why we are pairing this with tuna, salmon and scallops. Large and powerful fish for a powerful white wine. Definitely worth a try this summer in my humble opinion. The wine is still young so it will definitely develop more over time. Purchasing now and laying down would be a good idea, but you can still crack one open to understand the different tastes and textures of this lovely wine.
That’s all for this month! I hope you have enjoyed the read and perhaps even learnt a bit about which wines you would wish to try with which fish.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have some wine for thought today 😉
Harry Vernau