教甄◆英文科題庫下載題庫

        I received a few emails concerning matching wines with different kinds of fish. While I got a sense from a few readers that all they really wanted was my “OK” for them to drink their favourite red wine with red snapper, a couple of readers wanted me to go a little deeper. 

        Can you drink red with fish? Of course you can. And I’m not joining the current fashion of certain sommeliers who believe that you should “drink what you want.” You can, but my feeling is that it is a bit of a waste if you can go for a marriage that will truly benefit both what you are eating and your wine. When you get that perfect, or even near-perfect match, then you create an even greater taste sensation. It’s also a waste if you drink wines that are too powerful or not strong enough for what’s on your plate. Too strong a wine and you can overpower the taste of the fish; too weak a wine and you might as well be drinking water. Texture is also an important consideration. 

        So let’s dial down the fish thing. For all you red-wine-only drinkers, you have many opportunities to legitimately avoid whites. You just have to pick the right type of fish, and/or preparation. 

        The first thing to look at is what kind of fish you are cooking. Is it a light and flaky, or meaty and rich? For more delicately flavoured, non-oily fish like tilapia, sole, haddock and perch, you want to drink a similarly delicate wine. Unless they are battered and fried, which changes things, these types of fish are generally served with just a wedge of lemon. This is your clue. Go for higher acid, citrusy whites like a New Zealand or Loire Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Vinho Verde or an Assyrtiko from Greece. 

        For slightly weightier fish, but still delicately flavoured, like trout, cod, red snapper, sablefish and swordfish, you can go for a richer white. Soave, white Burgundy, Rhône whites, Chenin Blanc and southern Italian whites like Fiano are perfect. They aren’t too powerfully flavoured, but offer the right palate weight for the fish. 

        Now, for all you red wine drinkers: darker fleshed fish like salmon and tuna is where you can start cracking open the Pinot Noirs and Cru Beaujolais. While I have experimented with nearly every style of white wine, there is something about the marriage of a silkier, red fruited Pinot and salmon that just works. If you want to stay thematic to the summer, you can open a good Rosé as well, but serve it around 12°C. 

        And finally, for the family of oilier, strong flavoured fish like mackerel and sardines, as well as smoked fish, you need to bring out equally powerful wines. Both red and whites can work here. You still aren’t opening a Napa Cabernet, but I have had Barolo with mackerel, and the oil in the fish is a nice counterpoint to the tannins. Riesling and Alsatian Pinot Gris also work very well.