Pinot Noir is the go-to red wine for salmon. With blackened salmon, you can try a red wine with a little more body to compliment the dish’s spiciness. The dark fruit flavors of Merlot also balance out the spice of the dish. Whether you choose a Pinot Noir or Merlot depends on how spicy you order your salmon.
Pairing Wine with Salmon
Plain slow-roasted Salmon ends up being quite soft and delicate. The more steak-like version can be a bit more mealy and flaky, but for the most part, when appropriately prepared, expect the grain to be softer and somewhat mushy. Here is a good example of how to prepare Salmon.
Pair a plain and simple Salmon with an oak-aged white wine or time-aged white wine, something with more robust Meyer lemon, nut, or brûlée notes that will spice and texture the fish. On the richer side, try a Sonoma Coast or Central Coast Chardonnay from California, a Viognier from Paso Robles, an aged white Rioja from Spain, an oak-aged Trebbiano/Chardonnay from Sicily, or an Australian Chardonnay from Victoria (maybe Mornington Peninsula) or a Sémillon from Hunter Valley. These wines will align in richness and combine with the Salmon and create a fuller overall taste.
If you are looking for a more delicate pairing with more subtle green herbal notes to the wine, a few great choices include a Vermentino from Sardegna, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley or a Chardonnay (Mâconnais) from Burgundy. These wines will contrast the richness of the Salmon and act more as a palate cleanser.
Congruent wine pairings
- Oak-aged Chardonnay (perhaps try one from California, Washington, Argentina, Chile or Australia)
- Viognier
- Sémillon (a richer style, perhaps from Australia)
- Trebbiano/Chardonnay blend from Italy (particularly Sicily)
- Falanghina from Italy
- Fine White Burgundy or oak-aged Chardonnay from the Jura
Complementary wine pairings
- Mâconnais from Burgundy (a lighter more floral style of Chardonnay)
- Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, New Zealand, Chile or Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy
- Vermentino from Sardegna, Italy
- Gros Manseng and other white wines from South-West France
Some red wines can pair with rich, steak-like fish such as Salmon. Here’s the trick: find a low-tannin red wine to keep the pairing from tasting metallic. A few examples of this include the Valpolicella blend (a blend of primarily the Corvina grape), Gamay (called Beaujolais in France), Prieto Picudo (from Spain), and Lambrusco (a bubbly red from Italy).
Why Does Pinot Noir go with Salmon so Well?
FAQ
What wine do you pair with salmon?
What fish goes with Pinot Noir?
What not to pair with Pinot Noir?
What wine goes with salmon?
Full-Bodied White Wines – As a general rule, rich oily fish like Salmon pair wonderfully with full-bodied white wines like oak-aged Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, White Rioja, White Burgundy, and White Pinot Noir. However, depending on the preparation method and sauce, you can easily pair Salmon with rosé or light-bodied, low-tannin red wines.
Can you drink red wine with salmon?
Should you drink red or white wine with salmon? Salmon goes well with red or white wine, and even a rosé, depending on your taste preference. Grilled, baked, and blackened salmon pairs well with red wine, while poached, curried, and glazed salmon is a good match with white wine.
Is Pinot noir good for grilled salmon?
In Oregon, the pinot noir is world-class, and grilled Pacific salmon is a wine-country specialty. Why? Pinot noir is naturally low in tannins (the compounds that make your mouth pucker). Because tannins interact with fish to create an off-putting metallic flavour, heavy red wines (like cabernets) are the enemy, but low-tannin pinot noir works.
What goes well with Pinot noir?
Pairing pinot noir with salmon is so successful it’s now considered classic. Cedar works with the wine, but stay away from excessively sweet maple syrup. The earthiness of lentils and mushrooms enhances the wine’s delicate fruit. Using small French Puy lentils adds to the dish’s sophistication, making it ideal for entertaining.