The best wines to pair with seafood
From mussels and crab to whole roasted fish, wine expert Henry Jeffreys provides the ultimate guide to pairing wine with seafood, for a perfect match every time
From hearty fish stews to shellfish pasta, these bottles will complement your catch of the day. It might feel daunting thinking about which wine to pair with different types of seafood – from juicy mussels to flaky white fish or rich crab, each offers different qualities to match with the notes and aromas of a good bottle of wine. Wine expert Henry Jeffreys has chosen four classic seafood dishes and identified the best types of wine to pair with them, including specific bottle recommendations to get you started. And yes, sometimes you can drink red wine with fish.
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Wine pairing at a glance:
- Cala Rey goes well with: mussels
- Frappato goes well with: cod & chorizo stew
- Chardonnay goes well with: roast sea bream
- Soave goes well with: crab linguine
Best wine to serve with mussels: Cala Rey
A simple and classic dish like steamed mussels requires a suitably crisp, elegant white wine. Cala Rey is a unique new blend of a Spanish grape Verdejo with Sauvignon Blanc. There’s a grassy herbal note which will go splendidly with the parsley. You can maximise its impact by using a glass in the recipe.
We recommend pairing our mussels with white wine & parsley with a bottle such as:
Cala Rey Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc, £11.99, Laithwaites.
Best wine to serve with spicy cod: Frappato
Remember, you don’t just have to serve white wine with fish. Red can work, too. A light red like this delicious strawberry and pomegranate-scented Sicilian Frappato can work, especially if there’s chorizo and tomatoes in the mix.
We recommend pairing our cod & chorizo stew with a bottle such as:
w/o organic Frappato, £11.99, Laithwaites
Best wine to serve with sea bream: Chardonnay
One taste of this combination, and you’ll understand why Chardonnay is often such a great food wine. While it’s fresh and lemony, it’s also has a creamy body which will meld magnificently with the melting potatoes in this roast fish dish.
We recommend pairing our Whole roast sea bream with potatoes & olives with a bottle such as:
Don Cayetano Chardonnay, £8.99, Laithwaites
Best wine to serve with crab: Soave
Of all the seafood, crab with its rich flavour can be the hardest to match with food. The classic additions to a crab pasta of bitter capers and acidic tomatoes aren’t easy either. A rosé would equally be a good thing here, but we think this almond-textured Soave would be even better for a white wine pairing with a bit of interest.
We recommend pairing our Spaghetti with crab & cherry tomatoes with a bottle such as:
Colle Marianna Soave, £11.99, Laithwaites
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