Which red wine with a fish dish?

S

shaun-in-to

Well-known member
I'm pairing a good Chianti with the appetizer (mixed crostini) and the pasta (greens and ricotta stuffed ravioli with a walnut sauce). I'm wondering if I can continue the Chianti with the main course, roasted fish fillets on top of a fennel/sun-dried tomato/cream ragout, or should I switch to something more full-bodied?

Ordinarily I'd just do it, but one of the guests is a wine importer and so I'm feeling a bit nervous about things... Thanks for any advice.

 
I agree with Meryl....more

People are doing their own thing when it comes to wine pairings nowadays, but if you want to be more conservative----a red (especially a full bodied one) isn't usually served before a white, but the converse.

Have you thought about a relatively inexpensive prosecco with you crostini--you could also add a splash of a fruit puree or liquor of your choice. A little cranberry or pomegranite would be festive. Then with both the pasta and fish, an Italian tokai. It is also not a very expensive choice, and and little on the unexpected side. It should open your friends eyes a bit.

 
Given the presence of fennel I am betting that the ragout has quite a presence on its own. I would

pair it with a rose from the South of France.

It is certainly what I would want to drink with a bouillabaise, but don't know how much garlic will be in your ragout.

You would want one delicate enough for the fish but one that will stand up to the strengths of the other ingredients.

Let us know.

 
I hope you get some more suggestions. It's always fun to see what people prefer. I agree on the

prosecco with the hors d'oeuvre. Or just a dry bubbly.

But then I'm never sure when we're talking about appetizers and when about hors d'oeuvre.

 
Chianti

Shaun, I am going to disagree with the other folks so far and say that I think that the Chianti would work just fine. You're roasting the fish - that would lend itself to red wine since it gives an extra meatiness to the fish. Plus the fennel and sun-dried tomatoes also lend themselves to a red wine. So it seems to me that the Chianti would be just fine. Plus, its acidity would help cut the creaminess in the sauce (ditto the pasta sauce's creaminess). I also think that the Chianti would be just fine with the crostini (depending on the toppings) and with your pasta dish. What I would do is make sure you get a good Chianti - they vary soooo much in quality and there's a lot of thin, acidy stuff out there amongst the bottles that can make you swoon with delight. So, best to stick with a Chianti Classico or Chianti Classico Riserva and avoid straight Chiantis. And avoid 2002 - it was a poor year with lots of rain in September. Though you can find some good wine from good producers from that year, it can be a little iffy.
Your dinner sounds great! enjoy!
cheers, Bonnie
ps. Almost forgot.....I definitely would not go with a more full-bodied wine. Here, I assume you mean like a Cabernet Sauvignon. (Most Chianti is medium-bodied.) It will be too heavy and probably too tannic for your meal.

 
Sorry, I didn't even notice the pasta. I too, would prefer a medim red with the sauce.

(I need to stop posting so late) If you can get a Banfi C Riserva, 2002 is pretty good and may be cheaper than other years from other vintners, since 2002 was generally a blowout. The 2001 is safe. (Banfi can be more expensive but I think it is just outstanding in general). I too, think the Chianti Classico would be perfect with the pasta. There have been so many wonderful years of it. In fact, remember how quickly the 95s disappeared?!

Oh, if only I were stinking rich. Or even if I had been just in 1995.

You know, if I were in your situation, and were having an importer for dinner, I would have 2 or 3 choices with the fish (one of them being the carryover from the previous course) and either make it a taste test or give guests their choices. And not to worry about it. I've had importers for dinner a couple of times and they're just nice guests and certainly won't be critical of you. Every meal is an experience.

This is probably a little more interesting for me as you and I shop at the same store. (but not by choice, eh?)

 
I speculated that the walnut sauce would be butter based. That's why I leaned toward a white. A non-

oaky Chard would also be nice if that is the case. I agree that it is difficult to do pairings without the actual recipes. I always say that you should drink what you like, not follow some rule, but my mental images of this menu tend to favor lighter flavors---not that some reds couldn't fill the bill. When in doubt, Champagnes always works for me, and you can't go wrong with rose.

 
Variety

I love Marg's idea of having 2 or 3 choices! I like to have several different bottles available too - folks here in Holland don't do that, unfortunately, as they think that you have to drink only one type of wine from one producer during the course and not mix anything up. Me, I love variety. As for producers to watch for, Banfi is good. I am also partial to Volpaia, Querciabella and Isole e Olena.
Cheers, Bonnie

 
I only have one rule: Don't mix red wine and asparagus!

The asparagus makes the wine taste funny!
Except from that I drink wine with everything. If I cannot have wine, I drink champagne. Champagne is expensive and cannot be served every day. On these days I drink water - THEN I treat myself to a glass of wine after dinner!!! smileys/bigsmile.gif

I admit it - I LOVE red wine! smileys/smile.gif

 
Belated thanks for all the great advice! ...

Good to know at least one other person thinks Chianti would go with the main (and wise BonnieinHolland, at that).

For the record there is no cream in the pasta sauce -- a little ricotta to bind it, and you only use a drizzle anyway. I was also thinking of using less cream in the ragout, to let the vegetables shine through more.

And thanks, Marg CDN for the Banfi suggestion. None in my little tiny semi-useless LCBO, where they'd rather have empty shelves or two shelves of cheap Canadian sherry intead of stocking Campari "because nobody drinks it".

 
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