In most restaurants, salmon is a staple. We love how easy it is to turn into something that feels special, whether it’s a sheet-pan dinner with root veggies or a summertime sauté with tomatoes and fresh basil. It’s also full of high-quality protein and good-for-us omega-3 fatty acids.
“Salmon, with its rich and succulent flesh, with natural flavors ranging from buttery and mild to robust and smoky, and slightly oily profile, offers a versatile canvas for wine pairing,” says Joyce Lin, a New York City-based certified sommelier and wine writer. “From light and crisp whites to light and medium-bodied reds, there is a wine that will perfectly complement every flavor profile.”
Because salmon can embody so many culinary personalities, the head of sales, education, and private collections at one preeminent wine shop in New York City, has a few questions before selecting a bottle to accompany it. “What is the sauce? What are accouterments?” she asks. Salmon can be a chameleon, and each variation requires its unique wine.
Here are the pairings for four go-to salmon offerings. Take the following advice, and you’ll make these dishes even more delicious.
The Best Wine for Salmon Crudo: Cortese di Gavi
When it comes to this brightly-flavored, raw preparation of salmon, reach for a crisp, dry Northern Italian white like Gavi. Made exclusively from the Cortese grape in Italy’s Piedmont region, it’s a little fleshy and fruity, with yellow plum and a floral note. Crudo usually has a vinegar-forward or citrusy bite, so a wine with higher acidity will provide ideal balance. Gavi is refreshing and has just enough to be palate cleansing. A spot-on foil to crudo.
The Best Wine for Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon: Chardonnay from Napa Valley
“Grilling salmon on a cedar plank adds a subtle smokiness that enhances its flavor and complexity,” says Lin. “A suitable wine pairing for this dish would be a Chardonnay with some oak aging and elevated acidity, such as a Napa Valley Chardonnay.” There’s beautiful symmetry between the toasty and nutty flavors that oak barrels impart to the wine and the salmon’s smokiness from the cedar plank, she continues.
The Best Wine for Salmon Teriyaki: Barrel-aged Torrontés
There is a lot is going on in this dish: The richness of the fish, and the soy sauce in the teriyaki adds umami, savory and salty flavors. Then there is the sweetness from brown sugar and honey. For a beautiful companion, pair it with a barrel-fermented Torrontés from Mendoza. It is a wine with some oomph that can hold its own against all those flavors, but is still refreshing and lively.
The Best Wine for Salmon Sushi: Muscadet from Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
This light-bodied and mineral selection is Lin’s top choice for salmon sushi. “Made with 100% Melon de Bourgogne, Muscadet’s marked acidity, minerality, and citrus-like taste complement the fattiness of salmon,” she says. It’s also a great match for the dish’s freshness and buttery texture, plus the subtle sweet and tangy flavors of sushi rice. “Muscadet Sèvre et Maine undergoes lees aging [sur lie] and has subtle nutty and bready notes, adding a layer of complexity to the wine,” Lin adds. The contrast makes for a delicious, harmonious pairing.
