Wine pairing with sushi
Sushi and wine is not a traditional combination but it works surprisingly well when you choose the right bottle. The key is understanding what you are dealing with — vinegared rice, raw fish with varying fat content, soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger all create a flavour profile that needs specific wine qualities to complement it.
Why acidity matters most
The vinegared rice in sushi is acidic. To avoid a clash, you need a wine with at least as much acidity as the rice — a low-acid, soft white will taste flat and slightly off. High acidity in the wine instead mirrors the rice and creates harmony. This is why Champagne and Chablis work so well with sushi.
Best wines for sashimi and nigiri
For clean, delicate raw fish — salmon, tuna, sea bream — the wine needs to be subtle enough to not overpower it. Champagne or a Blanc de Blancs Crémant is ideal. A dry, unoaked Chablis or a Sancerre also works beautifully. Avoid anything too aromatic or fruity — Gewürztraminer and Viognier, while sometimes suggested, tend to overpower the delicate fish.
Richer rolls and fried dishes
Spicy tuna rolls, California rolls with avocado, and anything fried or with mayo-based sauces can handle a slightly fuller wine. A dry Alsace Riesling works well here — its acidity and slight petrol character is a natural partner for richer Japanese flavours. A light Pinot Gris from Alsace also handles fattier rolls and teriyaki dishes.
What to avoid
Red wine generally does not work with sushi. The iron in raw fish reacts with tannins to produce an unpleasant metallic taste. Oak-aged whites are also a poor choice — the vanilla and toast flavours from oak fight with the clean, precise flavours of Japanese food. Keep it mineral, high-acid, and unoaked.
At a Japanese restaurant? Pour reads the wine list and picks the right bottle for sushi.
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