The general rule known to all and that never fails is to pair fish with white wines but, depending on our recipe, we can also pair it with other types of wine such as rosés or reds, although if it is red it must be young and light-bodied.
We have classified seafood and fish according to type and cooking.
Cooked seafood without sauce
In general, cooked crustaceans, such as prawns, pair wonderfully with white wines such as Riesling, Verdejos, Albariños and Ribeiros, without forgetting cavas and champagnes.
Cooked seafood with light sauces
If we are going to accompany the seafood with some type of light sauce made with butter, cream or dairy, the ideal is some Chardonnay grape wine.
Cooked seafood with strong sauces
If what we are going to serve is seafood in more spicy or powerful sauces, such as the famous seafood casseroles, rice dishes or fideuá, we can allow ourselves to accompany them with some rosé or young red wine.
raw mollusks
We will accompany the oysters, clams and other mollusks that we can eat raw with Cava or Champagne brut or brut nature, or with some Galician wine of the Albariño or Godello variety, which will be an ideal pairing.
White and lean fish
White, lean fish are light, with very little fat, so they require soft, fruity and aromatic wines. Sole, turbot, sea bass or hake are some of the white fish that, prepared with recipes that preserve their sea flavor, without spices or sauces, will be great accompanied by an Albariño, Godello or Sauvignon blanc.
Semi-fatty fish
Fish such as trout, monkfish, grouper, sea bream will be very well accompanied with white wines with more fruity and aromatic notes, such as Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and with young red wines and fresh rosés such as Merlot or Pinot Noir.
fatty fish
Salmon, fresh mackerel, bonito, swordfish or tuna are fish with a firm texture and are more fatty that allow us to pair them with more powerful wines, ideally barrel-fermented white wines, rosés and young reds.
smoked fish
Smoked fish go great with barrel-fermented Chardonnay , as does a good rosé and young red.
Octopus to feira or Galician style
Young reds with little tannic and a certain acidity, fruity whites and young reds of moderate maturation are excellent companions for this dish. Some Galician wines such as Albariño or Ribeiro or Monterrei wines will surely not disappoint you.
Fried fish or fish fries
“Pescaito Frito” or fried fish dishes combine very well with soft white wines, dry whites or slightly acidic rosés, or a sparkling wine. The acid in these wines cleanses the palate of the frying oil and allows us to better enjoy the flavor of the fish.