What wine goes with salmon and oily fish: white or red?
345 wines to serve with salmon and oily fishWith salmon and oily fish, serve a full-bodied, fresh white such as a Chardonnay or a Riesling, or a light Pinot Noir at around 14 °C. The rich flesh of salmon, tuna or mackerel can take wines with character, as long as they keep their liveliness.
For smoked salmon or gravlax, go for the tension of a German Riesling. A grilled fillet or seared tuna happily welcomes a supple red from New Zealand or Etna. Explore this path with our Pinot Noirs, chosen for their crunchy fruit.
Ferraris - Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato "Sant'Eufemia" 2025
A fine and aromatic wine made from Ruché, an indigenous grape variety from Piedmont
460 Casina Bric - Ansi Langhe Arneis 2023
A unique white wine made from Arneis, an indigenous white grape variety from Piedmont
Dog Point - Sauvignon Blanc 2022
A Sauvignon Blanc, precise, of great finesse and beautiful aromatic intensity.
Bodegas Tobia - Cuvée Blanco
A white from Rioja with exotic and spicy notes
Dorrance - Rouge Cinsault 2025
A 100% naturally fermented Cinsault, straight and pure with fruit and spices!
Barco Del Corneta - Cucú 2022
A white wine from northern Spain combining aromatic richness and minerality!
Dog Point - Chardonnay 2022
A Chardonnay full of class, thanks to its great complexity and creamy texture.
Dog Point - Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2018
An exotic and spicy sauvignon blanc, vinified in oak barrels for 18 months
Loredan Gasparini - Casabianca Asolo Prosecco Brut
A Prosecco overflowing with fruit, fine and elegant.
Birichino - Besson Grenache 2023
A captivating wine from century-old Grenache vines.
Aneto - Branco Reserva 2023
An elegant, ample and distinguished white wine from the Douro Valley
Acústic Celler - Montsant Blanc 2019
A Catalan vintage made from old vines aged 40 to 80 years old
Crystallum - The Agnes 2024
A pure, elegant and balanced Chardonnay which once again demonstrates the great class of South African wines.
Wittmann - 100 Hügel 2023
A biodynamic riesling full of lightness and freshness straight from Germany
Dorrance - Cuvée Anais 2023
A round and voluptuous Chardonnay that recalls what Burgundy does best!
Castellucci Miano - Miano Catarrato 2024
A superb Silica white with exotic and mineral notes.
Alamos - Chardonnay 2019
A lush, complex and convivial Chardonnay from high vineyards in Argentina
Gilvesy - Martinus 2017
An organic white wine with a mineral, fresh and complex profile.
David & Nadia - Topography White 2020
A Chenin full of elegance with seductive mineral notes
Van Volxem - Schiefer Riesling 2022
A vintage that will work wonders on your summer meals and seafood platters!
Which wine for which salmon dish?
The cooking method changes everything: raw fish calls for tension, grilled fish can take a red. Here are our pairings, recipe by recipe.
| Dish | Wines to choose | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Smoked salmon blinis, toasts, homemade smoked salmon | Dry Riesling, brut sparkling wine | Acidity cuts through the fat and salt, and the bubbles lighten each bite. |
| Salmon gravlax or tartare gravlax with dill, tartare with lemon | Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc | Their aromatic freshness answers the dill and citrus. |
| Grilled salmon fillet salmon à la plancha, cooked skin-side only | Light Pinot Noir, rosé with character | Fine tannins and crunchy fruit that embrace the grilled skin. |
| Salmon with sorrel or en papillote salmon with sorrel, en papillote with lemon | Full-bodied Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc | The texture of the wine coats the flesh, and its freshness answers the acidity of the sorrel. |
| Seared or roast tuna sesame-seared tuna, Basque-style tuna | Etna Rosso (Nerello Mascalese), Pinot Noir | The almost meaty flesh of tuna calls for a fresh red with delicate tannins. |
| Grilled sardines or mackerel barbecued sardines, mackerel à la plancha | Lively white from Portugal, Cinsault from Chile or South Africa | Their liveliness balances powerful flesh and the smoky note of the grill. |
| Salmon en croûte or in cream coulibiac, salmon with cream sauce | Barrel-aged Chardonnay, Sémillon | A rich white stands up to the pastry and the sauce, with well-integrated oak. |
With salmon glazed with soy or honey, a Riesling with a touch of sweetness creates a lovely sweet and savoury contrast.
Dare to pair red with salmon
Salmon and tuna are among the few fish that happily welcome a red wine. Their dense flesh and natural oils balance fine tannins. Pinot Noir remains our first choice: served chilled, it brings crunchy red fruit and an acidity that refreshes every bite.
For seared tuna, look to Sicily: the Etna Rosso from Tenuta Monte Ilice, made from Nerello Mascalese, offers a mineral backbone and silky tannins. Cinsault, in its lighter version like the one from Gonzalo Guzmán in Chile's Itata Valley, is also at home with grilled sardines. For whites, Chardonnays from Australia and South Africa, or German Riesling, take over for creamy and smoked recipes.
Three pairings to try
Sesame-seared tuna and Etna Rosso. The volcanic notes of the wine answer the toasted crust.
Smoked salmon and German Riesling. A lemony tension that lightens the fat and salt.
Grilled sardines and chilled Cinsault. A light, generous red for a summer meal.
The Wine Wanderer Team
Your questions about wine and oily fish
What red wine goes with salmon?
Choose a light Pinot Noir, served at around 14 °C. Its fine tannins and red fruit go well with the rich flesh of salmon, especially when grilled or roasted. A Cinsault or a red from Etna made from Nerello Mascalese are excellent alternatives. Browse our light red wines to find yours.
What wine goes with smoked salmon?
With smoked salmon, serve a dry, lively white, ideally a Riesling from Germany or Austria. Its acidity cuts through the fat, and its citrus notes refresh the smokiness. A brut sparkling wine is also a lovely option for an aperitif or the festive season, with blinis and a little cream.
White or red wine with a salmon fillet?
Both work, depending on the recipe. A fillet with cream, with sorrel or en papillote calls for a full-bodied white such as Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. A fillet grilled à la plancha, with crispy skin, goes very well with a light Pinot Noir or a rosé with character.
What wine goes with tuna?
For seared or roast tuna, a fresh red with silky tannins is ideal: Pinot Noir, Etna Rosso or Cinsault. Its firm, almost meaty flesh welcomes them very well. For raw tuna as tataki or tartare, go back to a lively white, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.
What wine goes with sardines or mackerel?
These powerful fish call for a lively, straightforward wine: a dry white from Portugal or Spain, a Sauvignon Blanc, or a light red such as Cinsault. The acidity balances their pronounced flavour. With mackerel marinated in white wine, a dry Riesling nicely extends the marinade.
At what temperature should wine be served with salmon?
Serve lively whites between 8 and 10 °C, fuller Chardonnays at around 12 °C and light reds between 13 and 15 °C. A chilled Pinot Noir keeps its crunchy fruit and goes better with the flesh of the fish. Twenty minutes in the fridge is enough to bring it to the right temperature.