56 pairings
Pinot Noir
Seared salmon with Dom Perignon Rose: Cherry fruit and acidity balance the oily fish.
The short answer
Across 138 salmon pairings on 137 of our bottle pages, the grapes our editors pour most often are Pinot Noir (56), Chardonnay (41), Riesling (21) and Pinot Meunier (11). For example, Dom Perignon Rose from Champagne with seared salmon: Cherry fruit and acidity balance the oily fish.
By style: sparkling 82, white 31, red 14, rosé 5, orange 5 of the 138 pairings.
The wines that turn up most: AOC Champagne, Wachau DAC, DOCG Franciacorta Rosé Brut, Fleurie, DO Cava, Pfalz Sekt.
The best grapes for salmon
41 pairings
Chardonnay
Wild salmon with Louis Roederer Cristal Rose: Red-fruit lift and chalk balance the oily fish.
21 pairings
Riesling
Smoked salmon with Rothenberg Wurzelecht Riesling: Smoky tertiary register and saline lift mirror cured fish.
11 pairings
Pinot Meunier
Smoked salmon blinis with Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage: The high acidity and fine mousse cut the oily fish while the pastry note echoes the blini.
6 pairings
Gamay
Grilled salmon with Morgon: Delicate tannin and high acidity suit oily fish unusually well for a red.
6 pairings
Cabernet Franc
Salmon en croute with Brut Reserve: Brioche notes and a creamy mousse frame buttery pastry and oily fish.
6 pairings
Chenin Blanc
Poached salmon with herbs with La Calma Chenin Blanc: Saline-honey Chenin lifts rich salmon flesh.
4 pairings
Sauvignon Blanc
Smoked salmon blinis with Sancerre Les Denisottes: Smoky flint signature locks onto smoked fish; saline lift handles cream cheese.
Bottles to pour with salmon
The best-rated pairings, one per producer and no more than two from any one region, so the list travels.
Seared salmon
Cherry fruit and acidity balance the oily fish.
Smoked salmon
Smoky tertiary register and saline lift mirror cured fish.
Smoked salmon canapes
Smoky slate matches the cured fish.
Wild salmon
Red-fruit lift and chalk balance the oily fish.
Grilled salmon
Delicate tannin and high acidity suit oily fish unusually well for a red.
Grilled salmon with fennel
Fleurie's low tannin and floral register is one of the rare reds suited to salmon.
Wild salmon tartare
Blood orange and rose petal lift the raw salmon's fat; high acidity refreshes between bites.
Grilled salmon with citrus
Saline minerality and red-berry lift partner oily fish and citrus glazes equally well.
Poached salmon with dill
High acidity and full body suit an oily but delicately prepared fish.
Andreas Laible Plauelrain Am Buehl Riesling Grosses Gewaechs →
Poached salmon with herbs
Saline-honey Chenin lifts rich salmon flesh.
Salmon
Listed by the producer, and the wine's body handles an oily fish.
Salmon en croute
The wine's elegance and co-fermented Viognier aromas work with pastry-encased salmon.
Taste the pairing: food and wine in Loire Valley
Food and wine tastings you can book in Loire Valley, one of the regions whose bottles our editors pour with salmon.
Picnic in the Vines - A Unique Loire Wine Experience
Step into a moment that feels uniquely special. 10 minutes from Chinon, discover Château du Petit Thouars, a family-run estate where history, wine, and beauty meet. ...
Amboise: Caves Ambacia Visit and Wine Tasting
Tease your 5 senses at Les Caves Ambacia, winemaker since 1463. Discover 15th-century troglodyte caves dug in limestone, tour the collection, and taste 6 wines paired ...
Morning - Loire Valley Wine Tour & Food Pairing, Vouvray
An excellent introduction tour to discover the diversity of Loire Valley wines with a passionate professional wine guide As a small group (maximum 8) enjoy a true and...
Wine tastings and winery visits in Loire Valley (22) · Wine tours and day trips in Loire Valley (35) · Wine tours by bike in Loire Valley (5) · All wine and food experiences
pairings by region
- Loire Valley: 14 pairings, Loire Valley food and wine pairing
- Sussex: 14 pairings, Sussex food and wine pairing
- Champagne: 11 pairings, Champagne food and wine pairing
- Franciacorta: 11 pairings, Franciacorta food and wine pairing
- Penedes: 10 pairings, Penedes food and wine pairing
- Rheinhessen: 9 pairings, Rheinhessen food and wine pairing
- Wachau: 8 pairings, Wachau food and wine pairing
- Beaujolais: 6 pairings, Beaujolais food and wine pairing
- Brda: 5 pairings, Brda food and wine pairing
- Rheingau: 5 pairings, Rheingau food and wine pairing
- Alsace: 4 pairings, Alsace food and wine pairing
- Kakheti: 4 pairings, Kakheti food and wine pairing
Wine with salmon, FAQ
What wine goes with salmon?
Across 138 salmon pairings on 137 of our bottle pages, the grapes our editors pour most often are Pinot Noir (56), Chardonnay (41), Riesling (21) and Pinot Meunier (11). For example, Dom Perignon Rose from Champagne with seared salmon: Cherry fruit and acidity balance the oily fish.
Red or white wine with salmon?
Most often sparkling: of the 138 salmon pairings, the split by style is sparkling 59%, white 22%, red 10% and rosé 4%. The bottles below show which of each work and why.
Which wine regions are best with salmon?
The regions with the most salmon pairings on our bottle pages are Loire Valley, Sussex and Champagne.