Wine Pairings with Structured fish dishes

Structured fish dishes, such as rich soups, baked fish with tasty side dishes or preparations in sauce, call for wines that match them in body, intensity and aromatic complexity. Let us look at the best wines to pair with these recipes, which bring out all the depth of the sea.

Characteristics of Full-Bodied Fish Dishes and General Pairings

• Type of fish: amberjack, monkfish, croaker, salt cod.
• Cooking method: baked, stewed, alla livornese, in guazzetto.
• Complexity of the dish: the richer the ingredients, the more you need a wine with structure.

Best Wine and Food Pairings for Structured Fish Dishes

Structured White Wines

• Chardonnay (aged in wood) – Excellent for creamed salt cod, baked croaker, fish with butter or cream.
• Fiano di Avellino DOCG – Ideal for fish soups or stewed dishes.
• Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva DOCG – Perfect for dishes with spices or with herbal accents.

Intense Rosés

• Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC – Excellent for rich soups, guazzetto and fish with tomato.
• Tavel AOC (Rhône Rosé) – Suited to spicy dishes or ones with Mediterranean hints.

Light, Fresh Reds

• Pinot Nero Alto Adige DOC – A possible option with baked fish with bold flavours.
• Nerello Mascalese from Etna – Interesting with roast fish, shellfish and complex sauces.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Avoid white wines that are too light, which would not stand up to the structure of the dish.
• Watch out for marked tannins, which risk clashing with the savouriness of the fish.
• No to sweet wines, unless there are sweet-and-savoury combinations.

Specific Pairings

• Oven-baked shi drum with potatoes and olives → Fiano di Avellino, Chardonnay barricato
• Livorno-style fish soup → Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, Verdicchio Riserva
• Amberjack in lemon and caper sauce → Verdicchio, Tavel
• Grilled swordfish with vegetables → Nerello Mascalese, Pinot Nero