How to choose a good wine to pair with fish and seafood

Did you know that some kinds of fish pair better with certain types of wine? This is basically because white fish and oily fish don’t have the same properties. As such, their flavour and mouth feel won’t be exactly the same with all kinds of wine. Let’s take a look at what the best kind of wine is for each of them! 

What’s the different between oily fish and white fish? Basically, the level fat content. White fish is the lighter of the two categories, and also a huge source of nutrients for our bodies. This type of fish includes hake, cod, whiting and even some fresh-water fish, such as bass, wedge sole, eels and many more.  

All of them are generally paler in colour, with a softer texture and a lighter flavour than oily fish. What can we pair them with? To find the perfect wine to go with white fish, all we need to do is consider how it's cooked: 

• Pan-fried or baked white fish: for simple fish dishes that aren’t overly fussy in terms of sauces and side dishes, the best option is always a white wine. A good example of this would be our El Coto Blanco Verdejo or El Coto Blanco.  
• White fish in stew or with sauces: in this case, while a white wine could be a good choice, we could play around with stronger wines. For example, a rosé or a smooth red would be better options.  

Much like white fish, oily fish are a great option for including in our diets. Although people have drawn attention to the possible presence of traces of mercury in them, they are delicious products with great health benefits. Some of the most popular ones are tuna, sardines, anchovies, bonito, etc. 

Oily fish stands out as a great source of vitamins such as B1, B12 and D, and other useful minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. They are also rich in protein and low in carbohydrates. What’s more, their fat content (much higher than in white fish), is unsaturated, meaning that they contain important fatty acids such as omega 3.  

Specifically, their notable fat content and stronger flavour mean that there are far more options when it comes to pairing them with wine. In this respect, oily fish works well both with fresher white wines and other stronger varieties. We really love pairing oily fish with a balsamic product such as El Coto Crianza Garnacha.  

Now that we've cleared up any doubts about finding the right wine to pair with fish, what about seafood? What rules should we follow? Don’t worry about it. Seafood is easy to pair with wine for sure-fire success.  

For this food group, there’s nothing better than fresh, light and aromatic wines to really bring out their flavours. In this case, white wine is always a safe bet. For example, some of our best El Coto de Rioja wines are El Coto Blanco, due to its naturally fresh in the nose and mouth, or our 875m Chardonnay, a notably creamy wine that also goes perfectly with seafood and rice dishes or a paella.  

But that’s not all! If you want to move away from white wines, another great option is pairing seafood with a rosé with some sour notes. You’ll be blown away by this pairing.