Which wine with salmon? Christmas dinner wine advice

Wine advice

Prices are indications per bottle; they vary by shop.

Smart up to €10

Fresh white

Verdejo from Rueda

Fresh and herbal, good with lemon and dill.

Unoaked chardonnay

Chardonnay from the Languedoc (Pays d’Oc)

Round yet fresh.

Generous €10 to €25

Chablis

Chablis (chardonnay)

Crisp, fresh and mineral.

Light red

Pinot noir from Alsace or Germany

Low tannin: it works with oily fish too.

All out from €25

Oaked white Burgundy

Meursault (chardonnay)

Full and creamy, ideal with salmon in a cream sauce.

English blanc de blancs

English sparkling wine from chardonnay

High acidity and fine bubbles. Read more →

Why this wine?

Salmon is rich and mild; lemon brings acidity. A sharp dish needs a wine with enough acidity, or the wine tastes flat. Choose a fresh white, or a light pinot noir.

What matters here

Salt makes wine softer and fuller, and less bitter or astringent: salty dishes are easy to match.
Acidity in food softens the acidity of the wine, which then seems sweeter and fruitier. A sharp dish does need a wine with enough acidity.

Better not

A tannic red: with oily fish it can taste metallic.

← All Christmas dishes

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Wine with salmon