Any wine recommendations for a salmon dinner?

Question

I know with salmon it's best of your stick with white wines.. but I really prefer reds in general. Any recommendations? please include brands..

Answer 1

Young, light, fruity reds work well with salmon, especially when the fish is accompanied by "dark" flavours like balsamic vinegar. I'd go for a not-too-fancy pinot noir.
In the Alsace region of Northern France and Southern Germany, salmon is traditionally paired with the noble Riesling Grape. I know sometimes the fun of food and wine pairing is trying different flavors and textures with different foods from all over the world but lets be honest Riesling and salmon is a killer combo!

Answer 2

The magic number that is not on the label is the Residual Sugar or RS. If you research wines on the web or through wine spectator you can generally find this information. Very dry wines have less than 0.1%. Once you can taste the sugar you are up to around 1% and anything above that is so sweet that you start to obscure the flavor of the wine and really pack on the calories. White wines like Gewurztraminer are around 2% and are a good starter white wine before moving on to the dry wines. Red wines generally are not sweet although people often describe them as such. If you can find a red wine that is low acid (high pH), low tannins, and good fruit. It will be smooth and appear sweet because you can taste the fruit. Pinots have a tendancy to fit this profile, but not all of them. The tannin effect is reduced with age so if you go for wines like Merlot that are at least 5 years old you should have some luck. Stay away from Cab Sauv for now, it is really tannic when young and still tannic when it ages. Your plan should be to move toward dry wines as they give you the broadest spectrum of flavors that the sugar in sweeter wines pushes into the background.

Answer 3

Pinot Noir is a great wine to serve with salmon. A great buy would be the Brancroft 2005 Pinot Noir from New Zealand that is going for only $10.29 (http://www.cheers2wine.com/buy-wine.html).

Another choice from Sonoma County would be LaCrema 2005 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir for $18.99 (same site).

I'd rather drink Pinot with salmon than a white wine.

Answer 4

Salmon needs to be divided into two sorts -
smoked/cured and fresh.
Alsace Gewurtztraminer is the classic accompaniment to smoked.

Also enjoyable:
dry sherry, especially Manzanilla, or Champagne.
Good New World Riesling or a German Riesling Kabinett will also provide a good match.

Fresh Salmon will be well served by a Pouilly Fumé, a Sancerre, or a zippy fresh New Zealand Sauvignon.

Answer 5

Sure, whites also go with Salmon, but a Pinot Noir from Burgundy pairs fantastically with this fish. For another Pinot Noir pairing and more information check out the link below.

Answer 6

Pinot Noir without doubt. It's rich but delicate enough to compliment salmon like no other variety.

So start scanning through all the oregon pinot and French burgundies. There are plenty to choose from.

Answer 7

I prefer red as well but there is a great white that you might like, a Bourgogne-Chardonnay. But if that doesn't work for you than I would try the Bourgogne(red)-pinot noir or the Chilean(red)-Carmenere. I would't serve red if you're making the salmon in a delicate sauce though.

Answer 8

White goes best with fish, I like a nice Pinot Grigio but if you really want a red try a Merlot a good one will have nice tones of fruit. Sorry I can't give you any brand names. You might like to try a nice blush Zinfandel as well. Salud!

Answer 9

French wine only, red or white hardly matters, though red contains polyphenols and white does not, but a full bodied Merlot at 13% should be nice and slightly chilled

Answer 10

why not try a fruity rose? salmon is a versatile fish for wines