WINE:Reno Spiteri's Wineopolis.: WHITE WINES- Fish, Seafood and Shellfish.

French Selection - Burgundy whites.

Sommeliers and experts on food and wine have for many years experimented with food and wine pairings and have come to the conclusion that the perfect foods to pair with white wines are fish and seafood. But, alas, when one asks most diners as to what their preferences in white wines are, most would come out with the same stock answer of - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or in some case a Chenin Blanc. One might ask what about Semillon, Vernacchia di San Giminiano, Greco di Tufo, a Riesling or a Muscadet, Viogner, Vermentino, a crispy Arneis, a Gavi di Gavi, or a Gewurztraminer?

Reno Spiteri's Seafood Platter Arrangement.

But what makes white wines so perfect a pairing with fish and seafood?
As some shellfish contain iodine, this creates a problem which complicates harmonious pairings with wine. This component has a negative interaction with tannins found in red wine, as it produces a disagreeable metalic flavour on the palate, that is in mouth feel, the taste. In addition to iodine, seafood may also have a very strong flavour, so that the wine should also have a similarly strong structure and also good acidity to lower the intensity of the iodine. This acidity can be found in wines such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling, a Semillon, Chardonnay, Trebiano, a Viogner and others, which are excellent unoaked and pair well with seafood and shellfish including mussels and oysters. Wine matured in wooden, normally oak barrels or barriques, due to the implemenation of the wood notes (tastes and flavours) in the resultant wine, can be too aggressive and structured for shellfish, and are thus not perfect mates. With reference to Chardonnay, an unoaked wine choice can be suitable if the wine is drunk young to ensure good acidity.

White wine should ideally be drunk at cooler temparatures, depending on the grape varietal. Temperatures of anything between 8 deg.C and 12 Deg. C are suitable as white wines have a more delicate texture and are lighter bodied than red wines. White wine flavours are generally fresh, citrusy, and having good acidity which gives them a light feel in the mouth, thus creating complimentary flavours and textures which in turn leads to a perfect pairing with fish, shellfish and seafood.

Fish can be classified into three categories: lean, medium-fatty and fatty.

Grilled Scorpion Fish.

White or lean fish having a high water content are considered to be the most delicate. They have as little or even less than 2% fat per 100grams of fish fillet, which makes them easily digestible in the stomach. Little fat also means that their caloric content is less than 100 calories per 100grams. Lean fish varieties vary from country to country whereas some countries may enjoy lean fish such as cod, haddock and flounder, sole and grouper and red snapper, others might have different species. For these types of fish a delicate and subtle wine is recommended such as an unoaked Chardonnay whose fruity notes compliment perfectly the character of this type of fish. A good Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Trebiano or an excellent Arneis or a Chenin Blanc, all unoaked of course, light or medium bodied, are also good choices, especially for fish eaters who love to squeeze fresh lemon juice on their fish. Creamy sauces should be avoided when drinking unoaked white wine. Other fish types in the lean category include: Bass, Turbot, Monkfish, John Dory ( Pesce di San Pietro), and many others. Wines such as an unoaked Viogner, Vermentino, Greco di Tufo, Semillon, and others are good choices. Seafood and seashells that have a low fat content are: Clams, Crab, Lobster, scallops, shrimps, prawns, oysters and squid. If any of this fish and seafood is served with a cream sauce, as in cases of lobster and crab, then a good oak aged white wine at a temperature of 11deg. C would be your choice.

The second group of fish is the medium-fatty fish category which have some 2% to 6% fat content per 100 grams of fish fillet. Among the most common fish in this category we find: sea bream, scorpion fish, trout, swordfish, marlin, and others. Wines for this type of fish should have more chatacter and could also have a brief aging period in oak barrels, and must be served at the correct temperatures. If the fish cuisine served has a cream sauce, then wine aged in oak is the best choice. Wine choices here are numerous and depend on one's preference of the grape varietal. Light and medium bodied wines are more suitable here.

Italian Whites Selection.

Finally we have the fatty fish category. The fat content in fatty fish, seafood and seashells can vary between 8% and 15% for every 100grams and may also contain a higher caloric content of between 120 and 200 calories per 100 grams. In this category we can include salmon, tuna, sardines, mackarel, farm raised Bream (Awrata), sturgeon, and even octopus. Fat content might vary and depends from which region the fish is caught and even in what season and time of year. The texture of this fish type is fattier and more fibrous and they are best accompanied by wines with the same type of charater and structure. Other fish that are served as popular dishes in the Mediterranean area are: Amberjack (acciola); Dentex (Dentici); Wreckfish (Dott); Pilot Fish (fanfru); Corb (gurbell); Dolphin Fish (lampuka); Pandora (Pagella); Bass (spnotta); and of course there are many others. Maybe I have only mentioned the type that I like or what is mostly found in good fish and seafood restaurants. With this type of fish my wine choices would vary in accordance with how the fish is cooked, grilled, poached, steamed, baked, and the sauce served with it if any. Creamy; or red sauce with tomatos, herbs, and olives; or just plain with lemon juice. Then I pick what I might fancy at the moment, sticking to oaked wine for the creamy servings and the unoaked for the rest. Medium or full bodied wine, chilled to 11 or 12Deg.C, pairs well with this type of fish and seafood.
The list is vast. so I'm giving you here a selection of choices of white wine by body structure:
Light-Bodied White Wines: Bordeaux white - Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle; Most Italian White wines; Muscadet; Orvieto; Pinot Grigio; Riesling; Soave; Verdicchio; Vinho Verde.
Medium-Bodied White Wines: Albarino; Bordeaux white wines cru; Chablis; unoaked Chardonnay; Chenin Blanc; Gewurztraminer; Macon-villages; Pinot Blanc; Pinot Gris;Pouilli-Fuisse'; Pouilly-Fume'; Sancerre; Sauvignon Blanc.
Full-Bodied White Wines: Burgundy white-Chardonnay Grand Cru; Chablis Grand Cru; Oaked Chardonnay; Viogner; Vermentino, Alsatian Pinot Gris; Gavi di Gavi (Cortese'); Greco di Tufo.