Salmon is one of the most versatile fish to pair with wine. Its relatively bold, fatty flesh can stand up to red wines with ease. While white wines like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are classic pairings, don’t shy away from cracking open a bottle of red when salmon’s on the menu.
The key to picking the right red wine is understanding the unique taste profiles of different salmon species and preparations. Wild-caught Pacific salmon like King and Sockeye tend to be fattier and fuller-flavored than the milder Atlantic salmon that’s commonly farmed. Similarly, grilled salmon calls for a bolder red than subtle poached or smoked salmon.
Here’s your guide to choosing the perfect red wine matches with different types of salmon:
Mild Salmon
Farmed Atlantic salmon and wild Chum or Pink salmon have a delicate flavor. Their lower fat content makes them best suited to light fruit-forward reds.
Recommended Wines:
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Pinot Noir: The light body and bright acidity of Pinot Noir won’t overpower milder salmon. Opt for a fruity style from California or Oregon.
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Beaujolais: Made from the Gamay grape, the cherry and spice notes in Beaujolais complement subtle salmon beautifully. Select a Beaujolais-Villages or Cru Beaujolais like Fleurie or Brouilly.
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Chianti Classico: The medium body and savory cherry flavors in Chianti Classico are a foolproof match with poached or oven-baked salmon.
Medium-Bold Salmon
Sockeye, Coho, and Steelhead salmon have a moderately rich flavor. They can handle more tannic, robust reds.
Recommended Wines:
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Zinfandel A peppery, fruit-forward Zinfandel from California has enough backbone to stand up to these salmon’s fuller taste.
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Côtes du Rhône The grenache-syrah blends of this southern French region offer the perfect mix of fruit and savory herbal notes to complement medium-rich salmon
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Rioja Crianza: With flavors of strawberry, vanilla, and spice, the gentle tannins in a Crianza Rioja align beautifully with Steelhead and Coho salmon.
Bold, Fatty Salmon
King salmon and Sockeye from Alaska offer full-bodied, omega-3 rich flavor. They demand an equally full-flavored red wine.
Recommended Wines:
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California Cabernet Sauvignon: The blackcurrant and oak notes in Napa or Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon make a beautiful match for fatty King salmon. Choose a gently oaked style.
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Malbec: Argentinian Malbec’s lush dark fruit flavors and velvety tannins pair wonderfully with richly flavored salmon.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape: This bold southern Rhône blend has intense raspberry, pepper, and herb characteristics that complement intensely flavored salmon like Sockeye.
Grilled Salmon
The char from grilling firms up salmon’s texture and adds lovely smoky notes. Fruit-driven reds with a touch of spice are ideal pairings.
Recommended Wines:
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Oregon Pinot Noir: The lighter tannins and tangy cherry flavors of Oregon Pinot Noir suit the charred edges of grilled salmon.
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Garnacha: With soft tannins and generous red fruit, Spanish Garnacha (Grenache) makes a delicious match for grilled salmon with a squeeze of lemon.
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Shiraz: Smoky, peppery Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale Shiraz in Australia complements grilled salmon beautifully.
Smoked Salmon
The concentrated flavor of smoked salmon needs a lighter-bodied red with bright acidity. Old world styles work best.
Recommended Wines:
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Chinon: Made from Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley, Chinon has herbal, peppery notes that cut through smoked salmon’s richness.
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Bardolino: A fresh, easy-drinking wine from northern Italy, Bardolino’s cherry and herbal flavors complement smoked salmon on crostini.
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Amarone: Though robust, Amarone’s acidity and dried fruit notes work surprisingly beautifully with smoked salmon, especially when paired with cream cheese and blinis.
Blackened Salmon
Spice rubs and blackened preparations call for fruit-forward reds with a hint of pepperiness.
Recommended Wines:
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Red Bordeaux: Blackened salmon can handle Bordeaux’ s firm tannins. The blackcurrant and bell pepper notes in red Bordeaux are perfect with spicy Cajun preparations.
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Barbera d’Asti: With its bright cherry fruit, juicy acidity, and hint of spice, Piedmont Barbera is a foolproof match for blackened salmon.
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Super Tuscan: The sangiovese-based reds of coastal Tuscany have an herbal, savory quality that works beautifully with boldly seasoned 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).
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:
What Wine Goes With Salmon?: Thumbs Up Wine Pairing
FAQ
Does Malbec pair with salmon?
Salmon. This may be surprising, but malbec can even be paired with fish. While the options are limited, richer-bodied fatty fish like salmon work well. Served with homemade creamy tomato, basil, and Tchoupitoulas sauce, the bold flavors of Christner’s Atlantic salmon balance the strong tones of malbec.
What drink pairs well with salmon?
What is a good red wine for fish?
Some red wines that pair with fish are Pinot Noir, Barbera, Bardolino, Gamay (Beaujolais), Grignolino, Carignan, Montepulciano, and Sangiovese. These reds are also terrific with fleshier fish, such as tuna, shark, swordfish, and especially salmon.