Food » Dinner in a Breeze » 15 Foolproof Seafood and Wine Pairings Photo: Howard L. Puckett We love: Martín Códax Albariño Rías Baixas (about $14) Seafood and wine make a natural pair, and choosing the right wine for your dish can really highlight those flavors of the sea. In this recipe, you have scallops and shrimp and mussels and oysters—oh my! When there’s this much delicious seafood in the mix, a semi-dry white is a terrific choice. A light red, which you can use in the risotto, is another good pick; serving both will please all palates. In either case, look for light-bodied wines to balance the richness of the buttery rice, the piquancy of the garlic, and the fatty, spicy chorizo. Other can’t-miss matches: Albariño, red or white RiojaGalleryAsk a Sommelier: What's the Best Wine for Seafood? In the hot summer months, even if we can't be relaxing by the beach, we find ourselves planning meals that revolve around seafood: briny raw oysters, buttery lobster rolls, wild salmon charred on the grill.

But what should we drink? What about red wines? How do you go about choosing a wine for seafood dishes? We asked our sommelier crew for a few wine-and-fish tips. Here's what they had to say. Chat with SE: Drinks on Twitter. Keep in the loop with our weekly newsletter. The tastiest bites delivered to your inbox! Keep up with our latest recipes, tips, techniques and where to eat!best wine list portland orLearn what wines pair best with the four different groups of fin fish. cheap wine bar dcFrom flaky tilapia to steak-like swordfish, there are a range of potential wine pairings. best cheap fruity red wineBeyond just the choice of fish, the sauce and fish preparation affects what tastes best when pairing wine with fish.best wine kits uk

Fin fish can be characterized into 4 major groups by texture and flavor. As a general rule white wine pairs well with most fish, but certain white wines go better with certain types of fish. Mild flavored white fish with filets that are usually thin. Look for zesty and refreshing whites to balance the delicate fish flavor. Still flaky but firmer and thicker.buy ice wine in nyc Look for medium bodied whites with high aromatics and rich full-bodied whites aged in oak.best south american wine tours Types of fish that are firm with a meaty and steak-like texture. Rich white wines with lots of flavor and even a few red and rosé wines. Strongly flavored fishes that are salty and taste like the sea. Beurre Blanc, Lemon, Lime, Vinegar-based Sauces Try lighter zestier white wines and wines with more herbal and savory characteristics such as Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, Cortese di Gavi, Verdejo, Vinho Verde, White Bordeaux and Grenache Blanc.

Pineapple, Mango, Orange, Teriyaki, Sweet and Sour Look for wines with a touch more sweetness than the sauce. The darker the sauce, the darker your wine should be in the rosé spectrum. For instance, Teriyaki with Lambrusco or Meyer lemon glazed tilapia with Spätlese Riesling. Paprika, Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Chili Chili crusted fish are more about the fish’s texture bringing out the spices and seasonings. Spiced fish dishes match well with spice driven wines such as Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and even a lighter red wine such as Grenache. Thai Curry, Indian Curry Curry sauces tend to be a little sweet and because of their spices look for sweet wines like Riesling, Moscato, Gewürztraminer and Prosecco. Fish tacos go really well with Grüner Veltliner, Muscadet and Champagne. Basil, Parsley, Mint, Cilantro, Dill, Capers, Cucumber Wines with herbaceous notes taste richly floral when paired with green herbs. Check out Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Grenache Blanc, Torrontés and Trebbiano.

Richly smoked fishes are a little drier and need wine pairings that quench them. Garnacha rosé, Vintage Champagne, Rosé Sparkling Wines, Dry Riesling, Dry Furmint (Tokaji) and White Pinot Noir will pair well. Try most sparkling wines and bone dry white wines like Muscadet, Assyrtiko, Vinho Verde, Albariño, Dry Furmint (Tokaji) and Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano). Get the Advanced Food and Wine Pairing Chart A beautiful infographic poster about pairing wine with food. Sparkling wine, whether it's from California, France, Spain or Italy, is spot-on perfect for fried food. I list this one first because most of us love fried seafood, and while light beers match up well with fried seafood, most wines lose something when you pair them with tempura or a thick beer batter. Not so with sparkling wine, whose bubbles cut through the weight of fried food as if the wines were made for the dish. These wines also pair well with caviar. Don't like sparkling wine?... Lauri Patterson / Getty Images

These are the aristocrats of white fish wines. Dry, austere and crisp, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Grigio are the wines I reach for when I am serving lean, white fish cooked simply. Flounder, halibut, walleye, snapper, raw clams or oysters all do well with these wines. Alternately, you can use these wines to cut through the natural fat in some fish, such as striped bass, catfish, lobster, or mussels. Looking for something off the beaten track that fits this style? Try an Italian Vermentino or a Greek... dapan photography / Getty Images This is the realm of the fuller whites. Oaky Chardonnay gets a bad rap these days, but I love it with striped bass, crab, raw oysters -- even lobster. The theory here is to match a full-bodied wine with a full-bodied dish. If you have a broth-based soup, such as , Chardonnay works wonderfully. If you have a fish that's a little oilier, such as bluefish or mackerel, try Pinot Gris or Viognier, or an Italian Grillo. Owen Franken / Getty Images

These are even fuller whites that often have some lingering sweetness to them. I go for these wines with Asian seafood or anything spicy. Gewurztraminer is especially good with the zingy Vietnamese seafood I eat often, and the tropical aromas of Roussanne and Marsanne, which are Rhone white varietals, marry perfectly with the flavors of Asia. John Peacock / Getty Images These varietals are from Spain and Portugal, but are increasingly being grown in California. There's something about them that makes these wines absolutely perfect with shellfish: clams, mussels, scallops as well as crab and lobster. It is rare that I will not open an Albarino when I eat clams or scallops. Claudia Totir / Getty Images I split this one out because it is the perfect wine with simply cooked shrimp. Period, end of story. If you eat a lot of shrimp cocktail, steamed, grilled, stir-fried or , this is the drink to go with it. Be sure to buy real Spanish dry fino sherry, which is achingly dry and slightly salty.

Tip: This wine marries well with almonds, too. alle12 / Getty Images Basically, this is the light red wine category. There are precious few instances where you'd want a big red with seafood, but light reds do quite well with salmon, tuna, marlin, swordfish, mackerel, bluefish or other fatty, meaty, big-flavored fish. I love a Chianti -- which is mostly Sangiovese -- with spaghetti and clam sauce or octopus stewed in tomato sauce. Be careful, though: Avoid combining reds with spicy seafood, as you will probably get a nasty metallic taste. Foodcollection RF / Getty Images Kind of a 'tweener of a wine. I will serve Spanish, French or California roses when the sauce is heavier than what I want for a white, but not quite right for a full-on red. Roses can substitute for full-bodied whites such as Chardonnay and Fume Blanc. I use them a lot in summer, too, when I am grilling swordfish or tuna steaks. Rose is also a good choice with a tomato-based seafood soup, such as cioppino or zuppa da pesce.