Wine Pairings with Salmon

We often get asked, what wines go well with sustainably caught Skipper Otto seafood? So we thought we would start a series of videos and blog posts to answer all of your questions!

Sean Nelson, who is a professional sommelier, and the owner of Somm Wine Guy Consulting is also a Skipper Otto member, and has kindly jumped aboard to help enhance everyone’s wine knowledge.

As sockeye salmon season is well underway, we asked Sean to select 3 BC wines, and 3 international wines, that pair perfectly with 3 of our top Skipper Otto salmon recipes. He notes that when pairing wine with seafood, you need to take into consideration the flavours, acidity and richness of the dish, not just the species of fish or shellfish you are eating.

If you try any of these wine pairings – email us at [email protected] or share it on Instagram or Facebook and let us know what you think!

Recipe & Wine Pairings:

Pan Seared Salmon with citrus based salad

Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Gris 

The Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Gris is produced mostly in stainless steel tanks for freshness, bright fruit flavour, picks up nuttiness and minerality in lighter preparation of seafood such as the popular Skipper Otto pan seared salmon recipe.

From the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island, the Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Gris is a flagship white wine of BC, as it perfectly captures the energy of the coastal lifestyle of the west coast.

Laurenz V ‘Singing’ Grüner Veltliner 

This Austrian Gruner Veltliner from Laurenz the 5th – has ripe peachy apricot flavours, with subtly herbal notes – works well with salads and citrus as well as more flavourful seasoning (think middle eastern/northern indian spices). It also has great acidity to cut through the oily richness of the pan seared salmon.

California Poke Bowl with Salmon

Joie Farm Rosé 

This Joie Farm Rosé, is made with Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes – vibrant, new world style wine with juicy red fruit and floral flavours – while finishing dry and refreshing. It stands up to the intensity of the soy, sriracha, and green onion of the Skipper Otto California Poke Bowl with salmon recipe.

The winery is located in Naramata in the Okanagan Valley, but the fruit for this rosé comes from Skaha Bluffs, Oliver and Naramata, making this a well rounded expression of Okanagan Valley rosé.

Gérard Bertrand ‘Côte des Roses’ Rosé 

Gérard Bertrand is the largest biodynamic winery in the world. Their Côte des Roses is a classic southern french blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grapes. It captures the freshness of the Mediterranean and due to its proximity to the ocean, it is a natural pair for fish and shellfish. Clean, bright with a lovely seaspray backbone, it highlights the umami flavours of soy and vinegar in the Skipper Otto California Poke Bowl w/ salmon.

Cedar Plank Salmon

Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir 

It doesn’t get more classic than pinot noir and cedar plank salmon, and for a good reason! The soft red fruit character of pinot noir picks up the intensity of fatty salmon, adding smoke and spice of BBQ – this recipe calls for a more robust flavourful wine pairing. 

With three generations of wine making in the Okanagan, Quails Gate is one of the most iconic wine producers in all of Canada. They built their reputation on high quality Pinot Noirs which consistently win awards both nationally and internationally. 

Pietradolce Etna Rosso 

The Sicilian grape variety Nerello Mascalese has similarities to Pinot Noir, with bright fruit, crisp acidity and soft tannins but is unique in being grown on the side of an active volcano. It has vibrant spice, earthy savoury character, which pairs perfectly with BBQ dishes – fish or meat, including our Cedar Plank Salmon recipe.

Summary

All of these wines are all widely available at BC Liquor Stores across the province. For members in other provinces, your local provincial liquor store is likely to carry them, or something very similar, so feel free to substitute and try something similar or experiment and make up your own pairings. We can’t wait to see what you think!

To learn more about Sean, his wine club and sommelier services and upcoming tastings, give him a follow at @sommwineguy or read more on his website – sommwineguy.com.

Note: We want to acknowledge that we appreciate and respect that some of our followers and members choose not to drink alcohol for various personal or health reasons. For those that do partake, we hope you enjoy this blog post.

Source: Sean Nelson, Somm Wine Guy Consulting