Twenty years ago, almost nobody ordered wine in a sushi bar, and many sushi restaurants didn’t even offer it. But times have changed. Today, even in Japan, ordering wine in a sushi bar won’t garner an evil eye from the chef. More and more people are choosing to pair sushi with wine.
First, there are many types of wine and many sushi toppings to try to match. Some wines will do well with some toppings, but not with others. Typically, red wine goes with meat dishes, and white with fish. But when it comes to sushi pairings, the discussion deepens.
Sauvignon blanc matches well with shiromi such as red snapper. The hint of the ocean that comes with red snapper goes well with the wine.
Champagne and other sparkling wines pair well with sushi, especially the sushi rice and the wasabi. The aroma of yeast noticeable in sparkling wines matches well with the yeast in lightly grilled eel, seaweed and uni.
Rosé pairs well with some shellfish, especially akagai. slight sweetness balances out nicely with shrimp and chu-toro.
If you’re set on pairing sushi with reds, try a dry red with o-toro. If you’re drinking a less robust red like a Malbec, it will pair better with sushi. However, there are some people who just don’t like the results of pairing wine with sushi. The point of is the aroma. Sushi has a very delicate aroma, and sometimes the mellow aroma of wine clashes with it.pairing wine with food. Finally, white wine and soy sauce don’t match well. If you’re pairing sushi with wine, go easy on the soy sauce. If you use a lot of soy sauce when eating sushi, maybe white wine is not the best drink.
Koshu (Japan)
Castilla Léon (Spain)
