Our Entrée will be the the Baked Fish Fillet with Tomatoes and Mushroom as the choice of entrée to pair with a white wine. Some of the characteristics of a wine that would pair well with this entrée would be, medium to full body with some oak notes, low to medium acidity as well as some fruity flavors like green apples or pears. Some citrus notes would be favorable such as grape fruit or lime to this dish because it would to get rid of the fish flavor and refresh the pallet afterwards.
One type of wine that would complement this dish would be a Chardonnay, from Columbia Valley in Washington State, because of the semi-arid climates of this region their grapes tend to be naturally crisp, fruity and low acidity and their style of aging most of their chardonnays in oak barrels (Exploring Wine pg.192-194). The reason this wine would pair well with the bake fish is because the low acidity is not going to overpower the flavor of the fish and the herbs that are added for taste.
A second type of wine that would complement this dish would be a Sauvignon Blanc from St. Barbara County found in the eastern end of California. Because of its clean, citrus scent as well as flavors of apricot, grapefruit and lime flavors, it would enhance the texture of a soft and meaty fish. The Sauvignon Blanc with its low acidity and tannins would complement the tomato base of the dish.
A third type of wine that would go with this dish would be Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gri as it is often label in the state of Oregon, USA. This variety of wine would go well with the baked fish fillet with tomatoes and mushrooms because of the wine’s full bodied and fruit driven flavors. For example, flavors like; pears, apples and apricots as well as its light oak notes that would refresh the palate in every sip. As an added precaution, just in case they are paring the fillet with another side, another reason we picked Pinot Gri is because it also pairs well with a wide range of foods.
There are a few different approaches you could choose when pairing a wine to a fish dish. You could pair the wine to either compliment or contrast the fish or pair a wine to compliment or contrast the sauces and herbs used.
The Server should know the climate our wine is grown and produced in, a semi-arid climate, to allow a crispness and a balanced acidity. The perfect amount of acidity will also help to cleanse the palate. A wine with medium-low tannins with fruit and citrus aromas and flavors. Citrus fruits especially lemon nodes bring a nice finish to a wine when paired with fish; also green apples, kiwi and honey. The server should also know the wines are particularly dry, the vintage and how long it has been aged in oak, if aged in oak.
