Want the best wine with Salmon? The good news is that Salmon dishes work with several wine pairings (but probably not coffee and wine). Ultimately, the perfect pairing depends on your personal preference, cooking methods, and what you find in your wine shop.
Red Wine With Salmon Or White?
Wine lovers and wine experts often start the wine match process by considering red wine or white wine. In the world of salmon wine pairings, both types of wine can work. You might be surprised to hear that! However, factors like creamy sauces significantly affect a fish dish.
As a starting point in the wine shop, keep the following wine pairings in mind
Best Wine With Salmon Suggestions: White Wine Wine Pairings
Focus your attention on full-bodied white wines (instead of the best white wine to cook with) because these are best able to work with most salmon preparations. Use this spectrum of wines to find something that suits your taste preferences.
Oak-aged Chardonnay
Many bottles of Chardonnay wine made in California are well oaked, which is a good starting point. Not sure how much to spend on your next bottle? Use this guide to the price of Chardonnay which gives you affordable wines, mid-tier wines, and high-end options for special occasions.
Viognier
While Viognier is not as well known as Chardonnay, it is a favorite of many wine experts. This white wine originates from southern France. In terms of French white wines, it is best to look for this wine in the Rhône Valley. It is an excellent match for nearly any type of Salmon.
Sauvignon Blanc
There’s nothing like a bottle of good Sauvignon Blanc with a fish dish. The relatively high level of acidity in Sauvignon Blanc means it is refreshing. If you like your salmon dishes with herbs and a cream sauce, this type of wine is a good choice.
Best Wine With Salmon Suggestions: Red Wines
Not a fan of full-bodied white wines? Don’t worry – there are plenty of light-bodied reds that can serve as a perfect match for Salmon. Start with these classic pairing ideas to find ideas at the wine shop.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir wine is a classic pairing for salmon that most wine lovers strongly recommend (discover more about Pinot Noir in this comparison guide: Grenache Vs Pinot Noir). Specifically, choose a Pinot Noir with a light body. To find a light-bodied Pinot Noir, check wine reviews on Decanter. As one of the most popular red varieties, influential wine people and websites like Wine Folyl regularly come out with new Pinot Noir to try.
Grenache
This popular Spanish red wine variety is a favorite of wine experts with salmon pairing. This medium-bodied red wine has medium tannins and the acidity level to keep up with many types of Salmon successfully.
Salmon Preparations And Wine
The specific cooking methods used to prepare Salmon significantly affect the dish. Let’s look at a few types of salmon dishes and suggest a wine match for each dish. Treat these tips as starting points. In reality, finding perfect wine pairings is a personal experience. Part of the fun is to try an array of wines and see which ones bring out delicate flavors that you enjoy.
Plain Salmon Wine Pairing
Serving plain Salmon is an excellent choice if you love the flavors of the fish. It is one of the most simple salmon preparations. The perfect pairing for this fish dish is an oaked Chardonnay white wine (discover more Chardonnay tips in this Chardonnay for cooking guide). California is a good bet to find a tremendous oaked Chardonnay in the wine region.
What if you don’t like oaked Chardonnay? After all, this type of white wine might not be to your taste. In this case, consider opening a bottle of unoaked Chardonnay with your salmon dish.
Smoked Salmon Wine Pairing
Smoked Salmon gives a new flavor to your salmon dish. In this case, the taste of the fish is changed substantially by the smoking effect. In this circumstance, a perfect wine match would be a sparkling wine like a sparkling rosé. You can also go in a different direction for this wine with salmon pairing. For example, champagne or champagne alternatives also work well with smoked Salmon.
If you don’t like sparkling wine for some reason, Chablis is a good choice. For background, Chablis is a white Chardonnay wine made in the Burgundy wine region of France (also known as Bourgogne Chardonnay). To learn more, check out this post that explains Chardonnay vs Chablis.
Asian Dishes With Salmon
Multiple Asian dishes feature Salmon. Here are some wine pairings to try with Asian dishes featuring Salmon.
Soy Ginger Salmon
Soy ginger salmon is a baked salmon recipe that features Salmon. Traditionally, it is challenging to find a wine that pairs with soy. Your best bet, in this case, is to pick up a bottle of off-dry Riesling.
Salmon Roll Sushi (i.e., Raw Salmon)
In the world of sushi, a salmon roll is one of the most popular options. Dry Rosé is the perfect pairing for a sushi roll. For more ideas on what red wines to drink with sushi, see this post – red wine with sushi – for seven tips to make your next sushi dinner more enjoyable. When in doubt for a wine pick at a restaurant, ask for a dry rosé. If the server is unsure about their wine, take a chance. Most wines served today are dry wines.
Salmon Chowder
Let’s wrap up this guide to the best wine with Salmon chowder. There are a few ways to go with the wine pairing. Start with classic white wines like pinot grigio or Chenin blanc. That said, a salmon chowder with more decadent sauces might work better with a Chardonnay wine.
Didn’t See Your Preparation Style Mentioned?
Picking the best wine with Salmon ultimately takes experimentation. There are cases when you might want to explore oaky wines and Salmon. Ultimately, salmon pairs with a variety of wines. If you are a wine pairing beginner, start with the fantastic wines recommended in this post. As you gain more wine with fish experience, feel free to experiment with new wine pairings.
