The ultimate guide to wine and seafood pairings

The festive season is a time for celebration, and for hospitality businesses, it’s an opportunity to capitalise on increased customer spending. Wine plays a pivotal role in elevating the dining experience, especially during this time of year. By offering well-considered wine pairings with your festive seafood dishes, you can enhance customer satisfaction, encourage repeat business, and ultimately boost your bottom line.

A successful food and wine pairing lies in the seamless integration of flavours. Choose wines that complement the characteristics of the seafood dish, taking into account the type of seafood, cooking method, and accompanying sauces or side dishes.

With a diverse range of quality Australian wine available, we are spoilt for choice, but this can also make the process overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you enhance your menu offerings this festive season. 

The seafood
When matching wines with seafood, consider not only the style and delicacy of the seafood itself, but also the sauce and other elements in the dish. Look for a wine that has a flavour profile, body, and texture that suits the complete meal on the plate.

Fresh oysters and Australian Sparkling wine are a great combination because the wine’s acidity cuts through the richness of the oysters and the lively bubbles complement the delicate texture. Any wine high in acidity will also work well – try a splash of Semillon on the oyster for an explosion of flavour.

For light, fresh seafood dishes such as grilled prawns or a seafood platter, Riesling is a highly versatile option. With its crisp style and zesty acidity, think of it like adding a bit of citrus to your dish. 

Other crisp and refreshing wines including Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Fiano, or a dry Rosé are also great options for grilled or barbecued seafood.  

If the dish has a heavier, creamy sauce, a Chardonnay with its creamier flavour profile and full-bodied texture will complement the dish better. There is a wide range of Chardonnay styles available, so become familiar with the different options on your wine list to enhance your food matching recommendations. Chardonnay also works well with creamy curries, like yellow curry.

For seafood dishes with a bit of spice, consider a richer style wine like a Grüner Veltliner. Wines with herbal notes such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir match well with smoked salmon.

Pinot Noir and other lighter style red wines also work well with medium-bodied fish,
particularly if your dish has a ‘meatier’ texture. Ultimately, there are a wide range of wine options available, and the key is to determine what your customer is looking for and understand the flavours you are working with.

Wine Australia’s extensive library of courses are available for all Allara Global customers to access as part of their subscription. You will find courses on wine varieties and wine regions.

Other considerations
Budget
Budget is often aligned with occasion and can vary greatly depending on your customers’ confidence with wine. There are quality Australian wines at all price points, and the customer will have a more enjoyable experience if you stick to their budget, and may be more inclined to order another bottle.

Experience
It is important to give the customer confidence in their wine selection and providing a few points of interest on the chosen wine can really enhance their overall dining experience.

Depending on the venue, it is not necessary to have a different style of wine glass for every variety, however having a good sparkling, white, and red wine glass option will help to bring out the flavours in the wine and add to the quality cues for both the venue and the wine.

Ensure the correct serving temperature. Sparkling and crisp, high acid white wines should be served at between 6-8 degrees Celsius, Chardonnay and medium-full bodied whites 10-12 degrees Celsius, lighter reds 14-16 degrees Celsius, and medium-full bodied reds 17-18 degrees Celsius. In warmer climates, consider cooling red wine bottles slightly to avoid hot ‘cooked’ wine flavours. 
 
Adventure
“One of the true pleasures of wine is the exploration you can take through varieties, styles, and regions,” says Emma Symington MW, Wine Australia’s education development manager. “Australia is well-known for its classic varieties, however consumers are becoming increasingly adventurous and there are a wide range of emerging styles gaining popularity in Australia. Exploring new and unconventional combinations of food and wine can be an exciting journey of discovery.”

Over the past four years, varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Prosecco, Pinot Gris/Grigio and other white wine varieties have been an increasingly popular choice for on-premise consumption occasions in Australia, with dessert wine and Pinot Noir also trending upwards in the 12 months from July 2023 – June 2024, according to Growth Scope 2024.

Having a range of options on the wine list across varieties and price points will ensure you have something to suit your customers’ needs, and this may also include lower-alcohol options.

Wine and food matching is as much an adventure as it is a science. If you remember the key principles and understand your customers’ taste preferences and budget, you are well on the way to great food and wine matching this festive season.

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