Smoked salmon is a delicacy that is loved by many for its rich, smoky flavor and silky texture Its versatility also makes it a go-to ingredient for various dishes, from appetizers to main courses While smoked salmon can be enjoyed on its own, pairing it with a well-chosen wine can greatly enhance the dining experience. But with the wide variety of wines available, how do you know what kind of wine goes good with smoked salmon? Read on as we explore the perfect wine pairings for this smoked fish delicacy.
Understanding Flavor Profiles of Smoked Salmon
To find ideal wine pairings, it is important to first understand the dominant flavors of smoked salmon. The salmon acquires its signature smoky flavor and aroma during the curing and smoking process. The fish also has a smooth, almost buttery texture thanks to its high fat content In addition, smoked salmon tends to be quite salty
These savory, smoky, and salty characteristics need to be complemented or contrasted by the wine for a harmonious pairing. Acidity, fruitiness, minerality, and bubbles are wine qualities that pair well with smoked salmon.
Best White Wine Pairings
White wines offer great versatility when pairing with smoked salmon, Here are some excellent white wine options
Chardonnay
With its medium body and velvety texture, unoaked Chardonnay is one of the most popular pairings with smoked salmon. The wine’s fruity notes ranging from apple and lemon to melon complement the oily fish beautifully. The acidity also helps cut through the smoky flavors.
Sauvignon Blanc
Featuring bright citrus flavors and refreshing acidity, Sauvignon Blanc makes another fantastic choice. The herbal and mineral notes as well as the zingy acidity help balance the rich smokiness of salmon. Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France is an especially good option.
Pinot Gris/Grigio
Offering flavors of pear, melon, and lemon, Pinot Gris has just the right acidity and fruitiness to complement smoked salmon. The minerality of Pinot Grigio also allows it to stand up to the fish’s smoky flavor. Both make refreshing partners.
Riesling
German Rieslings with just a touch of sweetness perfectly counterbalance the saltiness of smoked salmon. Their racy acidity also cuts through the oiliness of the fish. Sweeter Rieslings work with spicier preparations of salmon.
Albariño
This Spanish white wine variety has mouthwatering acidity along with notes of citrus, peach, and mineral that pair deliciously with smoked salmon. Its medium body stands up well to the fish.
Best Red Wine Pairings
Full-bodied reds tend to overwhelm smoked salmon. But some light-bodied reds with low tannins can make great pairings:
Pinot Noir
The subtle earthiness, red berry flavors, and silky texture of Pinot Noir are a heavenly match for rich smoked salmon. Pinot Noir from Oregon or California works especially well.
Beaujolais
Beaujolais has very low tannins along with refreshing acidity that allows its red fruit flavors to shine with smoked salmon. A chilled Beaujolais is perfect for warm weather pairings.
Best Rosé Pairings
Dry, fruit-forward rosés also pair beautifully with this smoked delicacy:
Dry Provençal Rosé
With its pale pink hue, subtle red fruit flavors, and crisp minerality, a dry Provençal rosé is ideal with smoked salmon. The wine’s acidity cuts through the smoky richness perfectly.
Pinot Noir Rosé
Featuring notes of cherry, strawberry, and citrus, an Oregon or California Pinot Noir rosé has enough weight and acid to complement smoked salmon fabulously. Its dryness offsets the fish’s oiliness.
Best Sparkling Wine Pairings
The crisp effervescence of sparkling wines not only make them festive but also an excellent foil for smoked salmon:
Champagne
The ultimate luxurious pairing, Champagne has the acidity and toastiness to balance the smoky fish beautifully. Opt for a brut or blanc de blancs style. A rosé Champagne also pairs well.
Cava
Spanish Cava offers similar bubbly brightness along with flavors of lemon, pear, and almond that work well with salmon, but at a lower price point than Champagne.
Prosecco
This budget-friendly Italian sparkler has just the right amount of fizz and acidity to complement smoked salmon. Its stone fruit and citrus aromas make it a fresh pairing.
Food Pairings and Serving Tips
Aside from wine pairings, also consider what other ingredients or dishes you will be serving with the smoked salmon as that can impact your wine choice. Hearty preparations like salmon pasta in creamy sauce call for a fuller-bodied white like a buttery Chardonnay or even a light red like Pinot Noir.
However, delicate servings like smoked salmon with bagels, lemon wedges, and capers are better suited to a brighter, higher-acid white like Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño.
Sparkling wines are always reliable picks, working with everything from salmon appetizers to mains. Just remember to serve your wines chilled at their appropriate temperatures and opt for a nice big bowl-shaped wine glass to allow the aromas to shine.
Finding the perfect wine pairing for smoked salmon comes down to complementing its signature smokey, salty, and rich flavors. Crisp and acidic whites like Sauvignon Blanc, mineral-driven Riesling and Pinot Grigio, and light reds like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are all excellent options. For an indulgent pairing, go for Champagne or other sparkling wines. Serve these wines lightly chilled and experiment to find your favorite smoked salmon and wine pairing combinations.
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).
Pairing With Preparation Method and Sauce
A very classic preparation of Salmon is one that is perfectly roasted or poached and topped with something creamy, lemony and herbal. Sauces for this style include béarnaise, lemon dill cream sauce, dill, and cucumber yogurt sauce or creamy horseradish and caper sauce.
Try
- Oak-aged Chardonnay
- Australian Sémillon
- Trebbiano blend from Sicily
- Warm climate Sauvignon Blanc (such as Napa)
- Grüner Veltliner (lighter, more herbal match)
- Oak-aged Vermentino from Tuscany
The steak-like texture and flakiness of Salmon shines with this preparation. In this method, the skin is squeegeed dry, and then the Salmon is prepared on a hot skillet with vegetable oil skin side down. It will be meaty and have that perfect flaky texture. We found a delicious recipe for a crispy-skin Salmon with bacon and leeks if you’d like to see how to prepare it this way.
Try
- Garnacha/Grenache Rosé (Tavel is a good example)
- Beaujolais (a light-red made with Gamay grape)
- Valpolicella blend
- Carignan
- Lambrusco (especially rosé)
An intense style of Salmon that’s rarely just served on its own and loved at breakfast (fancy-eggs?), upon toasts (maybe with avocado), or served with bagels, cream cheese, and salty capers. The trick to pairing this preparation method is a wine with enough acidity and a burst of flavor to complement the salty-fishy notes. You’ll love it with a bold rosé or sparkling wine.
Try
- Sparkling Rosé Wine
- Bolder Rosé Wines
There are many different variations of this style, but the theme that ties them all together is the use of sweetness (be it brown sugar, pineapple juice, agave or honey) that causes the exterior to have a savory-sweet glaze. The result is a rich steak-like salmon with a hint of sweetness to the meat. A few recipes we liked included tangy teriyaki and ginger-soy glaze.
Try
Brazilian fish stew is the inspiration for one of the best renditions of Salmon stew. This recipe employs the use of tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and a touch of coconut milk.
Try
- Dry Sherry (such as a Fino or Palo Cortado Sherry)
- Sercial Madeira
- Orange Wine (natural, skin-contact, oxidative white wine with nutty flavors)
Unlike clam chowder, Salmon chowder needs extra “umph” from spices including turmeric, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper to bring the soup base to the level of richness that Salmon has. While on the search for examples, we found a decent recipe that has the perfect combination of ingredients, including corn and fennel, that make a great flavor profile with Salmon.
Try
Live the wine lifestyle. Use this chart to make amazing food and wine pairings.
See Also:
Best Wines with Salmon | Pairing wine and salmon made easy!
FAQ
What pairs well with smoked salmon?
Lemon wedges, cream cheese, capers and dill are the usual accompaniments to smoked salmon – often served on grain bread or bagels. I like smoked salmon served on bread, in omelettes, including in salads or just eaten plain.
What alcohol goes well with smoked salmon?
Smoked salmon is most commonly associated with champagne but in fact it goes with many other wines as well as with beer, whisky and vodka.
Do you drink white or red wine with salmon?
For a roasted salmon topped with sauce, you want a wine that is smooth and full. Fuller-bodied Chardonnay is probably the best white wine for salmon served with a sauce, but other oaked or fuller bodied whites can work well too.