Verriq Christmas special

Wine with smoked salmon and salmon tartare

Salmon as a starter, smoked, as tartare, on blinis or as salmon bonbons, appears on the Christmas menus of the major Dutch recipe sites. Often with lemon, dill or crème fraîche.

Wine advice

Prices are indications per bottle; they vary by shop.

Smart up to €10

Spanish sparkling wine

Cava brut

Fresh and dry.

Muscadet

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie

Crisp and saline.

Generous €10 to €25

Loire sauvignon blanc

Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé

Fresh and herbal, lovely with dill.

Chablis

Chablis (chardonnay)

Mineral and crisp.

All out from €25

Blanc de blancs Champagne

Fine and fresh, a classic with salmon.

English blanc de blancs

English sparkling wine from chardonnay

High acidity for the richness of the salmon. Read more →

Why this wine?

Smoked salmon is salty and rich, lemon brings acidity. A sharp dish needs a wine with enough acidity. Sparkling wine and fresh whites are the classic choice.

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 smoked fish it can taste metallic and bitter.

← All Christmas dishes

Test your knowledge

Practise WSET and SDEN questions for free in Verriq.

Go to the quiz

Sources

Verriq · Last updated: 2026-10-19