Pairing wine with seafood can be daunting… what is the perfect drop to serve with those plump Coffin Bay oysters or grilled fish is the question on many lips as the Summer entertaining season gets well underway!
As a general rule, white wines are usually the right choice – but reds and rosés have their place, depending on what you are planning to serve. There’s something so Australian about tucking into a succulent seafood feast with family and friends as the warm weather beckons us to eat alfresco, accompanied by a chilled glass of wine.
From the classic combination of crisp Riesling with freshly shucked oysters to grilled seafood with a modern Chardonnay, or a trendier match of salmon with Pinot Noir, there’s a glass out there to ideally complement your meal.
We’ve put together five seafood and wine combinations that
are sure to delight at your next party or family celebration.
Swim into party mood with a starter of Moreton Bay crab cakes with avocado and corn salsa, from Citrique restaurant on Ferny Avenue in Surfers Paradise. Since 2011, Citrique has continued to deliver modern and elegant dining inside the Marriott Resort and Spa and this recipe is no different, with the crab cakes fried golden brown and served with salsa and a simple passionfruit aioli.
To balance the flavour of the salsa and subtle crab taste of
the fish cakes, 2019
Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc is a great match with a pink grapefruit
character, concentration and mid-palate texture which reflect carefully
selected sites and hand harvesting during a small window of perfect ripeness.
This white has a great intensity of flavour, is bright, fresh and balanced –
good to drink from now until 2021.
A bowl of goodness reflecting all Tasmania has to offer - cauliflower soup and seared Tasmanian scallops, brown butter, lemon and parsley - is a sensational dish to pair with a Gilberts 2018 Riesling. Hobart restaurant Pearl + Co on Victoria Dock is the place to treat yourself to oysters, drinks and views on the water’s edge and this soup is just one of the many seafood offerings on an alluring menu.
This 2018 vintage continues the proud Gilbert tradition of
producing high-quality Riesling, crisp and dry with plenty of beautiful fruits
on the nose and palate. Small but high-quality fruit selection from the cool
climate vineyard results in a wonderful length of flavour and well-balanced
wine that can be enjoyed at any occasion.
With an absolute beachfront location on Marine Parade in Swanbourne, The Shorehouse is a Western Australian coastal culinary haven, where guests are delivered transcending views of the ocean from the timber deck. It’s no surprise dishes like Fremantle octopus, nduja sausage, kipfler potato, confit lemon and taramasalata take centre stage on a menu championing local seafood.
Octopus tentacles are slow cooked in a water bath to achieve a soft, delicious texture that is the perfect foil for a glass of 2018 Angove Organic Pinot Grigio – a dry, light white wine with a light straw hue and delicate floral overtones, coupled with characters of flint, green apples, lemon rind and grapefruit. Grown from organically certified grapes, this drop needs to be drunk now, sitting on a verandah watching the sun slowly go down.
Located inside Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on Sea World Drive in Main Beach, Oyster Bar & Grill offers vistas of the sparkling pool as a spectacular backdrop to a memorable meal of grilled barramundi, with seasonal greens, potato mash and ravigote sauce. With trawlers arriving across the road full of fresh local seafood, it is no surprise prawns, oysters and fish dominate the land and sea menu.
Penna
Lane Watervale Riesling has typical citrus notes powered by lime juice and
passionfruit, which complement the denseness of the barramundi, while hints of
toast and honey develop on the palate providing crispness and multi-layered
flavours.
There’s nothing quite like a whole golden fried fish arriving at the dinner table… and this recipe for crisp snapper, chilli, tamarind and lime is no exception. The soul of South East Asia is on the menu at Longrain on Little Bourke Street in the heart of Melbourne, where guests can watch Chefs shred chillies through the kitchen window while kicking back with a cocktail and delving into seafood dishes such as this snapper.
Estate grown and handpicked, this lovely Peacetree Estate 2018 Sauvignon Blanc displays bright and lifted aromatics of pink grapefruit, melon and passionfruit with hints of ginger and zest – making it a great pairing for the whole fried snapper. A full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc with classic varietal characteristics and intense flavours, it is grown in the heart of Wilyabrup in the Margaret River area using strong organic practices.
