Pairing Wine With Ceviche

Ceviche is a dish made from raw seafood, cured with either lemon or lime and often accompanied by red onion, cilantro and chili peppers. It is stunningly fresh and full of mouth-watering citrus and spice flavors. With the right wine, the refreshing taste of ceviche can be enhanced even further. Ceviche traditionally contains seafood, so the best pairings will be acidic white wines and wines that are low in tannins. It can be made with a variety of seafood, or even vegetarian, so we have also included some red wine options.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Ceviche

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry to Off Dry
Acidity	Acidic
Tannins	Smooth
Body	Light to Medium
Tasting Notes	Aromatic, bright and fruity, with citrus flavors

Generally speaking, ceviche will not mix well with high-tannin wines. It is acidic, due to the seafood being cured in citrus juices, which can lead to a metallic taste if combined with a robust red wine. However, a wine with bright acidity will be a great match for the flavors of ceviche. A wine with a bit of residual sugar can also be preferable because like most Mexican dishes, ceviche has the potential to be spicy.

Best Red Wine To Drink With Ceviche

Which wine you choose totally depends on the protein in your ceviche. We will go into further detail on various proteins later, but if your ceviche happens to be made from a richer fish, like tuna or salmon, a juicy red wine can be a solid choice. If you’re vegetarian, you might be looking for a pairing for a mushroom ceviche. In that case, red wines can also be an excellent option, particularly ones that contain umami (earthy) flavors.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a great option to have. It’s low in tannins, high in acid, and has a wonderfully fruity profile. If your ceviche has a meatier fish, like salmon, the flavors of Pinot Noir will match perfectly. It also has some earthy qualities that will go along with a mushroom ceviche, and its fruity flavors are deep enough to match whatever toppings come along with your Mexican meal.

Gamay

Also known by the region of Beaujolais, this is another Burgundy wine with fantastic pairing potential. It is light-bodied, low in tannins and high in acid, so it will pair very well with salmon ceviche. It is sweeter in fruit than Pinot Noir but has less earthy flavors. It may not be the optimal pairing for vegetarian ceviche, but its juicy red fruits will be a fun companion for ceviche with tuna or salmon and a range of Mexican spices.

Best White Wine To Drink With Ceviche

The main ingredient in most ceviche is seafood that is cured in citrus juices, so the dish is absolutely calling out for a fruity and acidic white wine. Ceviche frequently features chili peppers, and even hot sauce, so white wines with some residual sugar certainly won’t go amiss either. These are your best options.

Sauvignon Blanc

One of the best possible pairings for ceviche is an unhinged New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. They are known for being delightfully zesty and fruity, often featuring notes of lime and grapefruit. These flavors are ideal for pairing with fresh ceviche. Sauvignon Blanc is also high in acid, which will complement the chili, cilantro and citrus aspects of ceviche wonderfully.

Grüner Veltliner

Austrian wine and Mexican food may seem like a weird match, but the profiles of Grüner Veltliner and ceviche work perfectly together. This crisp wine slices through fats easily and is aromatic enough to stand up to Mexican spices. It often features flavors of lime and green apple, which will be a mouth-watering complement for ceviches’ citrus-soaked seafood.

Gewürztraminer

Though it depends on how you like it, ceviche can be spicy. A semi-sweet wine is a perfect antidote for a burning palate, and Gewürztraminer also has a delectable range of flavors that will match with ceviche. It often features exotic fruits, such as lychee, and is packed with floral notes. This varietal can vary in acidity levels but it is aromatic enough to withstand spicy food.

Riesling

Riesling is another option that can be semi-sweet. It has the added bonus of being high in acidity and is one of the fundamental wines for pairing with spicy food. Riesling’s citrus and stone fruit flavors are relatively delicate, so they won’t overpower the ceviche, but should complement it wonderfully.

Viognier

Among white wines, Viognier is a special option, because it’s full-bodied. While it is often higher in alcohol, it can also be surprisingly sweet, making it a good pairing for spicy Mexican food. It is often paired with richer seafood dishes, so perhaps save the Viognier for a tuna or salmon ceviche, as it could overpower something lighter, such as white fish.

Sparkling White Wine

When it comes to ceviche, sparkling white wines cover all of the bases. They are low in tannins, and usually bright and acidic. You can also mix and match, depending on your preference. A sparkling white that is rich in fruit will match the flavor profile of the cured seafood, as well as any of the toppings that accompany it. If you want to mute the spices of ceviche slightly, you can go for a sweeter sparkling wine.

Wine With Ceviche Prepared Different Ways

Ceviche is a versatile dish and can be prepared with a variety of fresh seafood. In Mexican cuisine, shrimp, mackerel and white fish are the most common, but the dish originally comes from South America, so you might also discover ceviche made with octopus, tuna or salmon. To make sure you are completely prepared, these are the best wine pairings for each kind of ceviche.

Ceviche With Shrimp

Shrimp is better described as meaty, rather than fishy, but keep in mind that it’s going to be cured in citrus juices. To match that flavor profile, a vibrant New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc will be fantastic, or a bright, semi-sweet Riesling.

Ceviche With Mackerel

Also known as Ceviche de Sierra, mackerel-based ceviche is quite common in Mexican cuisine. It’s a meaty, oily fish, so you might want to complement it with a relatively meaty and acidic white wine. Sauvignon Blanc is a solid choice, as well as a full-bodied, yet sweet Viognier to combat the added spices.

Ceviche With Tuna

Meaty dishes like tuna ceviche stray into red wine territory. It won’t be overpowered by the robust flavors of a Beaujolais or a Viognier. An intensely fruity New World Pinot Noir will also be an excellent combination, matching the ceviche’s depth of flavor with its own.

Ceviche With Salmon

Pinot Noir is a good choice for salmon ceviche. It brings out the best in salmon and is acidic enough to rise above any of the ceviche’s toppings. Sauvignon Blanc is also a great option, it will cut through the fattiness of the fish, and complement the dish’s citrus side.

Ceviche With White Fish

Ceviche can be made with a variety of textured white fish, including cod or halibut. Sauvignon Blanc is the most reliable option for matching the citrus in ceviche, but depending on the fish, you can also try a more delicate and sweet wine, such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer.

Ceviche With Octopus

Octopus ceviche can be a wonderful gastronomic experience. We recommend pairing it with a semi-sweet wine, to avoid overpowering the subtle taste of octopus. Gewürztraminer is a great choice, and its intensely aromatic side will balance the ceviche’s citrus and spice. Sauvignon Blanc is also a dependable choice and matches well with almost any ceviche variation.

Ceviche With Mushrooms

A vegetarian mushroom ceviche will contain far more earthy and savory flavors than any other preparation style. For that reason, Pinot Noir is the way to go. Its umami undertones will make a satisfying match for mushroom ceviche. It has a deep well of fruits that can complement any onion, cilantro or chili toppings, and its bright acidity will pair with ceviche’s citrus dressing.

Best Wine To Drink With Ceviche

Ceviche is a delightfully refreshing and zingy dish, so you want to find a wine that will complement that. However, it’s also extremely versatile, so keep your protein in mind. These are the most reliable options, when pairing wine with ceviche: