Wine Lesson 191

Sun Herald

Sunday January 18, 2009

Sally Gudgeon

You don't have to drink white wine with fish

You don't always have to follow food-pairing conventions, such as matching fish with white wine. It's your palate, so experiment. Try pairing Tasmanian salmon with a Tassie pinot; the fruity notes go well with the flavours in the fish and the bright acid cuts through the oily texture. Another great match for salmon is a dry rose. Other meatier fish such as tuna and swordfish go well with pinot, too, or try a lightly oaked merlot, sangiovese, barbera or unoaked joven or young tempranillo. Highly tannic reds such as cabernet sauvignon tend to overpower fish, and so will high-alcohol wines. The way in which the fish is prepared is a big factor, too.

If it's spicy, try a fruity rose; if you're cooking the fish in wine, match it with a similar wine.

Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley Rose 2008, $18

Named after a winery cat, this McLaren Vale grenache-based rose ripples with bright raspberry fruit. It's fresh and textured in the mouth. Try it with chermoula-coated tuna.

Home Hill Pinot Noir 2006, $30

This Tasmanian pinot is full of bright fruit and spice. It's tight, structured and earthy with a fleshy, textured palate. Serve it with salmon wrapped in prosciutto.

Cillar de Silos Joven 2007, $35

A young unoaked tempranillo from Ribera del Duero in Spain, this is bursting with lively bramble fruit flavours, and is fresh on the palate. Match it with swordfish in saffron sauce.

All wine prices are approximate and subject to change

© 2009 Sun Herald

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