Yes, You Can Drink Red Wine With Fish

If you’ve ever been to a restaurant that has a menu that recommends wine pairings, you will notice that red wine is rarely paired with fish. And if it is, it’s the lightest Burgundy (or Pinot Noir) that the Sommelier can find. But we are always told that we should put more fish and chicken in our diets, which I am diligently doing in my constant quest to be more health conscious and it’s the red wine that has all of the antioxidants.

Listening to the wine pairing “philosophy,” you don’t pair fish with red wine, therefore diminishing the total “wellness” experience of your meal. For me, I know if I’m going to eat something healthy I want to feel like I’m getting the whole experience; therefore I want to drink something with health benefits too. This is not to discredit the benefits of water (but this is a blog post about wine!!) or to diminish how well a great Sancerre or Chardonnay pairs with fish. Honestly, in the summer there is nothing better, which explains how my desire for a white wine generally outshines my desire for the value of antioxidants. But in the winter, or when I just feel like a glass (or two) of red, I want to know that I can have that red wine without sacrificing the flavor of the fish.

My palate likes heavy wines, so the Pinot Noir family of wines generally won’t do, but a really heavy red will overpower the delicacy of most fish dishes so I’ve found some great alternatives: Nebbiolo from Italy, some Spanish Tempranillos or a Cotes de Rhone from France in the old world wines for me tend to not overpower fish dishes…and believe it or not, there are red wines often labeled as “table wines” right here in the Finger Lakes region of NY State that are not overpowering and relatively inexpensive; they pair really well with fish and are actually quite universal. Lamoreaux Landing Estate Red, and Bully Hill Baco Noir are two that come to mind. All in all, wine is so palate specific, I have learned not to be intimidated, nor do I follow the rules…there is only one rule that I stick to, which is try them all and drink what I like when I want it!