Wine Pairing: In Support of Tinned Fish & Podcast Ep 2 (Newsletter #12)
Let's talk about pairing wine and tinned fish cuz it's good all year round.
Hello again!
Good news! Podcast Ep. #2 is officially out! You can click here to listen to me discuss my wine journey and what I find most helpful when researching wine things. If you felt like the pod resonates with you, I’d love to hear your feedback, thoughts or suggestions! Be sure to drop a comment here or on the link and let me know! ❤️
This newsletter is about summer’s cool girl: Tinned Fish. It’s undeniably having a moment, and frankly, I am here for it. If you’re not familiar with the tinned fish phenomenon, it's basically fish, packaged in little cans or tins, usually in a broth, marinade or sauce. They’re fully cooked so you can pop them open, put them on crunchy baguette, crackers, whatever you’d like. Easy peasy, delicious lunch on the fly with very little effort. It’s picnic food, Hollywood Bowl food, lunch on the patio food… you get the idea.
So with this recent renaissance of conservas, I figured you’d probably want some wine pairings for it. The first thing to remember is that tinned fish is typically a rich dish; they are usually stored in oil and strong in flavor. To cut through this, you will want a wine with high acidity. You know how squeezing fresh lemon over some fish is just the most amazing thing ever? This is like that, but in beverage form.
Recently, I’ve found myself reaching for a crisp, sparkly California rosé of Pinot Noir to pair with my fish, but I think, as long as its dry with a zip of acidity, you’ll be delighted with any version of rosé.
The most typical pairings are high acid white wines like Albariño or Reisling — these will definitely get the job done. If you are less traditional, you could play with sparkling or frizzante wines—but again, remember to choose something dry. A sweet sparkling wine might not balance the way you want.
And for those who LOVE adventure, I would recommend a light-bodied, chilled red! A lot of people don’t think of red wine and fish as partners, but trust me, the right partnership is MAGICAL. For those sardines in tomato sauce, crack open a funky bottle of Gamay. A very light, chilled Pinot is an excellent partner too. Life is always more interesting with a chilled red anyway.
Tag me in your fish and wine pairings this week! ;) Cheers!