White Wines

[victoriaecruz]

What white wines would you suggest that generally go best with seafood, such as, seared tuna, swordfish, seabass, lobster, shrimp, oysters, etc.

[Innkeeper]

Hi Victoriae, and welcome to the Wine Board. Other than searing the tuna, you don't say how you would fix the other seafood. Will try to point you in the right direction anyway. If the tuna is darkmeat, would recommend as with salmon, a red, pinot noir. Otherwise for lightmeat tuna and swordfish, an off dry riesling is recommended. For other finfish such as the seabass I like what the Aussies call unwooded chardonnay. The easiest of these to find are the Maconnaise from Southern Burgundy. Unwooders from Oz and Kiwiland are also fine. The best wine to go with shellfish is sauvignon blanc, again without the addition of wood. Those from New Zealand and Sancerre (French SB) marry wonderfully with the shellfish. If any are being prepared in the Italian style, here are some good choices: Vermentino, Verdicchio, and Pinot Grigio.

American white wine is almost always treated with oak, which does not go well at all with fish, particularly shellfish. One American exception is riesling. Whether dry or off dry it is mostly never fermented or aged in oak.



[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 01-06-2002).]

[mrdutton]

IK is right on base with his suggestions. I would also talk about the following choices as being reasonable matches:

French Chablis with the oysters - a classic combination.

Go red with the Tuna just like IK suggested.

Champagne or other decent sparkling wines go well with the oysters and lobster.

Unoaked whites with lighter crab dishes; but with spicy crab cakes, shrimp and old bay or such try a shiraz from Australia or even a medium-bodied red Zinfandel from California.