Victoria Daskal

Crisp, dry, refreshing white wines are known to be a perfect match for sushi. They should be neutral or semi-aromatic to not overpower the subtle flavours and delicacy of raw fish, and ideally be unoaked, for the same reason. 

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Of course there is a range of sushi, and a typical meal will have a succession of flavours and textures ranging from soft, creamy tuna to firmer prawn, and fleshy eel. A relatively versatile bottle is therefore required to handle the nuances on the plate.

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I must confess that my go-to wine for sushi is normally sparkling: be it Champagne or an English Sparkling Wine. The delicate mousse plays with the different textures of sushi, the crisp acidity cleanses the palate in between bites, and the toasty/brioche notes from the traditional method of production (ageing the wine on lees in bottle) draw out the savoury umami flavours of sushi.

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Though sometimes a still wine is preferred due to budget or just personal preferences, and while some lighter styles of red can also complement sushi (a chilled, light body, Pinot Noir or Gamay for instance), it’s mostly unoaked, light to medium body, crisp, dry, white wines that pair well with sushi. 

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I was recently introduced to a wonderful, simple, and high quality sushi menu in my area (more info below). I was looking forward to trying an array of traditional nigiri and rolls, though the wine geek's dilemma immediately set in: “which wine should I open?” There were many fine contenders in the wine fridge, but this proved a good opportunity to settle the score on the ideal wine and sushi pairing. And I wasn’t going to be the only judge, I recruited an important critic to the panel: my husband, a wine drinker, but not a wine geek, in fact a self-confessed amateur. This is the best possible person to test out my options since he likes wine, but has no preconceptions over particular styles or what the ideal match should be. 

 

I selected five wines that I knew to be dry, with a refreshing, crisp acidity and that were either neutral or semi-aromatic in style. No oaky Chardonnay or floral bouquet of Viognier tonight! Although Riesling is generally an aromatic grape, the Alsace version is more savoury, restrained, and dry, therefore a good option. Gruner Veltliner also varies in style, but in this case a simple and youthful example from Kamptal was chosen. A Smaragd GV might be interesting too, but as it's riper and bigger it could be too intense for delicate sushi. The Muscadet chosen had the words Sur Lie on the label which means the wine was aged on its lees (the dead yeast that fermented the grape juice into wine) and gives it a lovely creamy sensation despite the brisk acidity. In blind tastings Albariño can be mistaken for Riesling, Gruner Veltliner.. or Furmint, depending on the style, but generally speaking it is dry, refreshing, with floral and peach/apricot aromas, and can have a wonderful streak of salinity running through it which makes it so enticing. Finally the Chablis: crystalline, chiselled, and crisp. It is a classic fine white wine, that is at once traditional, but also trendy depending on the producer and style. The one I had is from one of the largest Premier crus: Vaillons; and from an excellent vintage: 2017, perhaps a bit too early to drink now as it could continue ageing beautifully, but what's a wine and sushi tasting without Chablis?

 

I poured them to be tasted blind, before and with the sushi. We filled out a short questionnaire recording our impressions with and without food, and noted down aspects of balance, texture, contrasting sensations, and overall best experience. 

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