Best Wine with Salmon: A Pairing Guide for the Civilised and the Slightly Tipsy

Let’s get one thing straight: salmon is not just a fish. It’s the fish. The fashion-forward diva of the seafood aisle. The pink-feather-boa-wearing, jazz-hands-throwing headliner that makes haddock look like it’s still filling in spreadsheets.

So when someone casually asks,

“What’s the best wine with salmon?”,

you must resist the urge to roll your eyes so hard they end up in Burgundy. This isn’t a one-bottle-fits-all scenario. Salmon can be grilled, poached, smoked, cured, raw, baked in pastry, or massaged gently with sesame oil by someone who charges £60/hour. And you think you can pair that with just any random screw-top from the off-licence? No, darling. Not on our watch.

In this article, we’ll march you through the ins and outs of pairing wine with salmon like a mildly pretentious sommelier who’s had just enough to drink to finally tell you the truth.

First Up: Red with Fish? Yes. Welcome to 2025

Let’s start by tackling a myth so old it was probably scribbled onto the Dead Sea Scrolls: you can’t drink red wine with fish.

Oh, honey.

You absolutely can. Especially if the fish in question is salmon—fatty, flavourful, and built like it could actually stand up to more than a squeeze of lemon and some supermarket Sauvignon Blanc.

Enter: Pinot Noir.

This light-bodied red is the lovechild of cherry juice and good judgement. High in acidity, low in tannins, and with just enough earthy intrigue to keep things interesting. The best part? It actually loves fatty fish. Like, brings-it-home-to-meet-the-parents kind of love.

When to open Pinot Noir:

• Grilled salmon with a crispy skin that crackles like a Bonfire Night sparkler

• Cedar plank salmon that tastes like it’s been blessed by a lumberjack

• Salmon with mushrooms or lentils (because you’re obviously trying to impress someone vegan-adjacent)

A decent Burgundy or Oregon Pinot won’t just work—it’ll make the salmon sing. Literally. You may start hallucinating fish doing karaoke. That’s how good this pairing is.

Chardonnay: For When Your Salmon’s Wearing a Butter Cloak

Now onto our second suitor: the ever-controversial Chardonnay.

Yes, it’s been through a tough time. Once worshipped, then rejected, and now crawling its way back into the hearts of wine drinkers who’ve finally stopped confusing “oaky” with “licking a plank of MDF”. But let’s be clear: unoaked Chardonnay is not your nan’s Friday-night fridge wine. It’s crisp, refined, and when done right, positively flirts with salmon.

Best friends with:

• Poached salmon that’s so tender it collapses when you look at it too hard

• Salmon in creamy sauces—béchamel, hollandaise, or anything involving butter, cream, and guilt

• Cold salmon fillets pretending to be salad but secretly hoping for a second chance at dinner

A good unoaked Chardonnay (preferably from Chablis if you’re classy, or somewhere like Margaret River if you’re just pretending to be) has just enough body and acidity to balance the richness of salmon without overpowering it. It’s like Hugh Grant in his prime: a bit posh, perfectly balanced, and surprisingly likeable.

Avoid the over-oaked monsters unless you’re deliberately trying to ruin everyone’s lunch. If it tastes like it came from a treehouse, chuck it.

Rosé: Not Just for Hen Dos and Heartbreak

Let’s talk rosé. And not the one that looks like it was made in a factory run by Barbie and the souls of sugared almonds. We mean dry rosé. The good stuff. The kind from Provence, that whispers of strawberries and minerals, and doesn’t come with a headache or a Spotify breakup playlist.

When it comes to salmon—especially when cold, smoked, or mingling with rocket leaves and goat’s cheese like it’s auditioning for a brunch menu—rosé absolutely slaps. (Yes, we said it.)

Best paired with:

• Smoked salmon served on blinis with an air of superiority

• Cold salmon salads that are 20% protein, 80% virtue signalling

• Any al fresco meal where someone’s wearing linen and pretending they aren’t freezing

Dry rosé has just the right balance of fruitiness and acidity to match salmon’s oiliness without turning the dish into a mess of conflicting flavours. Plus, it looks pretty in a glass, which let’s be honest, matters more than we admit. Especially on Instagram.

A good rule of thumb: if it tastes like watermelon bubblegum, abort mission.

Smoked Salmon Deserves Champagne. Full Stop.

Now, let’s address the queen: smoked salmon.

This is not just food—it’s edible status. It shows up at weddings, Christmas breakfasts, and any buffet trying to prove it went to private school. And while a lot of people reach for vodka or, god forbid, flat Prosecco, we are here to say, definitively:

The best wine with smoked salmon is Champagne.

Not “sparkling wine” in the legal loophole sense. Not “carbonated grape sadness”. Champagne.

Why? Because the acidity, bubbles, and yeasty, biscuity notes cut through the richness of the fish like gossip through a dinner party. It brightens every bite. It elevates the whole experience. It turns a random Tuesday into New Year’s Eve.

If actual Champagne feels too extravagant for your current account balance, allow us to introduce:

• Crémant (Champagne’s classy cousin who didn’t get the inheritance)

• English sparkling wine (because surprise—we’re actually quite good at this now)

• Cava, if you’re on a budget but still want to feel something

Best paired with:

• Smoked salmon canapés

• Eggs Royale (because you’re too fancy for Benedict)

• Any occasion where you want to impress without opening with “I work in finance”

And yes, we are aware this makes you look a bit extra. That’s the point.

Riesling: The Comeback Kid

Now, if you’re eating raw salmon—be it sashimi, sushi, poke bowls, or anything that comes with a soy sauce stain on your shirt—you need to rethink what’s in your glass.

Riesling is here to rescue your palate.

No, not the sugary swill you associate with your aunt who hoards nail polish. We’re talking dry or off-dry Riesling—the kind with sharp acidity, delicate aromatics, and just enough sweetness to dance with spicy mayo and wasabi like they’re on Strictly Come Pairing With Me.

Why it works:

• That zingy acidity refreshes your palate after each bite of raw fish

• It handles soy, ginger, chilli, sesame, and smugness like a pro

• The floral notes give sushi a romantic subplot

If you’ve never tried salmon sashimi with a glass of dry Riesling, do it. Immediately. You’ll never go back to overpriced warm sake or sad Pinot Grigio again.

Best paired with:

• Sushi, especially spicy salmon rolls

• Poke bowls with enough toppings to count as an identity crisis

• Raw fish consumed while pretending to be cultured but still terrified of chopsticks

Now that we’ve paired salmon with everything from bubbles to berries, it’s time to play everyone’s favourite wine game: What Not to Pour.

Because as much as we love freedom of expression and drinking whatever makes you happy (within reason), there are still crimes against salmon that even the most forgiving palate cannot excuse.

What Not to Drink with Salmon (Unless You’re an Agent of Chaos)

Let’s say it together: not all wine is salmon-friendly.

So here’s a quick round-up of bottles you should avoid unless your goal is to actively sabotage dinner or test the limits of friendship.

1. Cabernet Sauvignon
We get it. You love bold reds. You once read the word “tannins” and now can’t stop bringing it up at parties. But unless your salmon is wearing a bacon jacket and riding a ribeye, Cab Sav is not invited. The tannins clash with the oils in salmon like two aunts at a wedding with unresolved beef. Just… no.

2. Malbec
This is the red wine equivalent of a bar fight in a bottle. Too heavy, too tannic, and makes salmon taste like it’s being smothered by a plum-soaked duvet. Save it for steak night or that friend who thinks every wine should be purple and punchy.

3. Moscato
Unless you’re pairing your salmon with a unicorn-shaped cheesecake, Moscato has no business here. Its sweetness will destroy all the nuance of your dish and make your fish taste like dessert. Stop it.

4. White Zinfandel
Just don’t. If someone brings this to your dinner party, make them leave it at the door and tell them you’ve switched to a dry household. Preferably dry rosé.

5. Box Wine (unless you genuinely know what’s in the box)
Look, there are decent wines in boxes now. But there are also boxes full of lies and acetone. If you’re not sure which kind you’ve got, maybe don’t pair it with your £12 fillet of Waitrose finest.

The Wildcards That Surprisingly Work

Now that we’ve judged half your wine rack, let’s toss you a bone. Not all salmon pairings are obvious, and some of the lesser-sung grapes can genuinely shine if you give them a fighting chance.

Gamay (Beaujolais)
If you like the idea of Pinot Noir but wish it wore Converse and played in an indie band, Gamay is your guy. Light, juicy, a bit cheeky—and goes beautifully with grilled or herb-crusted salmon. Beaujolais-Villages is your budget-friendly entry point. Just don’t show up with Beaujolais Nouveau unless it’s November and you’re feeling ironic.

Vermentino
Light, citrusy, and Mediterranean enough to make you question your postcodes. It’s not just for seafood—it’s especially good with salmon that’s been zhuzhed up with herbs, lemon, or fennel. Vermentino tastes like holiday and barely costs more than a Pret lunch.

Albariño
This Galician superstar is like Sauvignon Blanc if it had done a year abroad and came back better. Bracing acidity, a little salinity, and a peachy zing that plays well with poached or roasted salmon. Especially good if you’re eating it somewhere with more seagulls than humans.

Grüner Veltliner
Because you’re a legend and like a wine with a name no one can pronounce. Grüner has peppery notes and high acidity, which can bring out the best in salmon dishes with spice or citrus. Great if you’re showing off or hate Sauvignon Blanc fans.

Final Thoughts (and Confessions)

Let’s be honest—most people don’t even know what wine they like, let alone what wine pairs with salmon. And that’s okay. Life is too short to suffer through bad wine just because someone in a bow tie told you it’s the “correct” match.

But if you’ve made it this far, you clearly care. You’re not here to pour Echo Falls on a poached fillet. You want the good stuff. You want balance. You want that magical moment where sip meets bite and everything goes suspiciously quiet because your guests are too busy moaning into their napkins.

Here’s a handy cheat sheet for next time you panic-buy salmon fillets on a Tuesday and want to look like you know what you’re doing:

And if someone insists salmon just needs “a splash of lemon and any white wine,” kindly ask them to leave and come back when they’ve read at least one Jancis Robinson article.

Because the best wine with salmon isn’t about rules. It’s about respect. For the fish. For the grape. And for your own dignity.

Now go forth and pair like you’ve got your life (and palate) together. Just please, for the love of Dionysus, put down the White Zinfandel.