The FEL Pinot Noir is a perfect pairing for swordfish.
Pairing Purple Wine with Swordfish
I do know what you’re pondering. Seafood ought to all the time be paired with white wine or rosé. I believed the identical for a really very long time, and insisted that once I poured a glass of something purple I used to be breaking the principles. However I wasn’t. Because it seems, some seafood dishes can shine alongside purple wine.
Writing about this makes me recall the time a sommelier paired a California Cabernet Sauvignon with a lobster tail in coconut curry sauce. Who knew? I used to be surprised at that pairing. However I wasn’t disenchanted. One way or the other the sturdy Cab reduce by means of the creaminess of the sauce and didn’t take something away from that succulent lobster tail.
When experimenting with sudden pairings, one to attempt is purple wine with swordfish, a white-fleshed, meaty, nearly rooster breast-like seafood steak that can stand as much as sure purple wines.
How do I do know swordfish pairs nicely with purple wine?
As a result of I not too long ago cooked swordfish at dwelling and needed to have purple wine with dinner. It had been a very long time since my final try at cooking this creature from the ocean, and I used to be pleasantly shocked at how straightforward it was to arrange stated swordfish on my vary in my New York condo.
I seasoned with salt and pepper, then pan-seared the fish in olive oil and topped it with a salsa of cherry tomatoes, yellow corn, bell pepper, and lime juice, serving alongside a easy inexperienced salad. I cooked it to medium so it was nonetheless a bit moist inside. It was scrumptious, particularly with my chosen purple wine: a 2021 FEL Pinot Noir from California’s Anderson Valley, a wine that checked all of the bins for me.
Meaty seafood like swordfish works greatest with a medium-bodied purple wine
This wine has the correct amount of physique to sip alongside a meaty fish. A mix of fruit from the Ferrington and Wendling Vineyards, in addition to the vineyard’s personal property Savoy Winery, the 2021 FEL Pinot Noir is a chic, well-structured wine that captures the essence of the area’s coastal local weather. Anticipate purple fruit, chocolate, and mission fig with a strong texture within the mouth. I beloved this velvety purple wine with swordfish, however I’d completely take pleasure in a glass of this wealthy, well-balanced Pinot Noir by itself.
When selecting a Pinot Noir to pair with swordfish, I like to recommend a extra medium-bodied wine, so go away lighter-bodied Pinots for lighter dishes and daytime sipping. Don’t overlook to sit back your Pinot earlier than pouring. Wine execs suggest serving these luscious purple wines at 55 to 60 levels. Whereas that vary may sound chilled, keep in mind, wine warms within the glass somewhat shortly. Therefore, all the time maintain your wine glass by the stem to assist protect the proper temp for optimum style.
Pairing different purple wine with swordfish
What are another purple varieties to contemplate with swordfish? I like to recommend attempting Gamay, a scrumptious purple typically in comparison with Pinot Noir. Gamay is sometimes from Beaujolais and infrequently from the Loire Valley in France. I’ve fallen in love with this wine of late, and I believe a extra medium-bodied Gamay would complement swordfish properly. A lighter Nebbiolo, a grape from Italy’s Piedmont area and even the suitable Merlot would even be beautiful. Whichever purple you select, choose a wine with some oomph and ideally tender, silky tannins to not overwhelm the fish.
The 2021 FEL Pinot Noir was excellent with the swordfish I cooked. Picture by Bob McClenahan
Have you ever paired purple wine with swordfish? I’d love to listen to your strategies.
Additionally Kosher wine. And an age-worthy rosé. Plus a tasting occasion is enjoyable!
I often obtain wines for editorial protection. All critiques or mentions are of my very own accord and never influenced by others.