Pairing Wine With Chilean Sea Bass

Chilean sea bass – also known as patagonian toothfish is a fish that lives in the waters around Antarctica and it is considered to be one of the most flavourful fish. Its meat is rich and it is very easy to prepare.

Naturally white wines work better with fish, although there are some good red wine options to pair with the Chilean sea bass depending on the method of preparation, but more on that later.
The fish itself is quite oily and rich in texture therefore we will be looking at rich wines with a fuller body, however we will mention some options in case you would like to contrast the oiliness of the fish.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Chilean Sea Bass

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry
Acidity	High
Tannins	Low
Body	Light to Full Bodied White, Light Reds
Tasting Notes	White Wine Notes – Citrus, green fruit, cream, butter Red Wine Notes – Red fruit, smoke, oak

Sweetness – We would be looking at dry wines for our pairing since the sea bass will be quite oily textured and it will be cooked in a fresh style.

Acidity – High acidity would be a must in our choices since this fish has an oily texture and it needs a wine to cut through it.

Tannins – For our red wine pairings we would look at wines with quite low tannins, just enough to make the meal balanced.

Body – Light to full bodied white wines will all work with the dish, depending on the method of preparation and our goal with the pairing. For our red selection, we will opt out for light reds.

Tasting Notes – With our white wines, we would look at citrus fruit aromas, green fruit for the freshness and a bit of oak and butter for our fuller bodied choices. Red wines should have red fruit aromas with a touch of smoke and oak aromas.

Best Red Wine To Drink With Chilean Sea bass

With fish we would typically go for a white wine, and that may be a logical choice but sometimes red wines can do the trick as well. Depending on the method of preparation, our red wines may complement and even enhance the dining experience.

We should keep in mind that we need a lighter bodied wine, therefore we should go for a wine with low tannins, high acidity, lots of freshness and minerality.

Pinot Noir from Germany

Called Spatburgunder in Germany, it is widely planted in the Ahr region which is one of the northernmost German wine making regions. These Pinot Noirs have quite low tannins with a zingy acidity which will cut through the oily fish.

Gamay from Beaujolais

This grape variety is grown in Beaujolais in the south of Burgundy, it produces wines with a very light body and really low tannins. The better ones are grown in one of the ten crus on granite soils and they tend to display more aromas and a slightly fuller body than the entry level ones.

It will complement the dish as it has an enormous flavor profile and a good, refreshing acidity.

Best White Wine To Drink With Chilean Sea bass

White wines are usually the go to drink when having fish and it is the case for the Chilean sea bass as well. White wines have the necessary freshness and flavor profile to complement most of the methods of preparation when it comes to seafood. In our suggestions you will find different styles of wine, with differences in body but they will all have high acidity, fresh aromas and a long finish.

Chardonnay from France

More precisely we would recommend having a Chardonnay from Chablis AOP. These wines have a great acidity, with lots of freshness but for a better experience try getting a Premier Cru Chablis. These wines have most often seen a bit of oak aging which will make their body rounder but they will still have high acidity to cut through the fish.
Since they are grown on Kimmeridgian clay soils, they will have a flinty, shell-like aroma which will pair perfectly with fish.

Alvarinho from Portugal

Alvarinho is the same grape as Albarino in Spain, however when grown in the Minho region of Portugal this wine takes slightly different characteristics. It is made in a Vinho Verde style, which means that it is picked slightly early which gives the wine soaring acidity, lots of green and citrus aromas and a bit of sparkle.

Chenin Blanc from South Africa

A classic Chenin blanc always has great acidity and a good structure, which will enhance the sea bass and make the dining experience complete. If you manage to get your hands on an oak aged Chenin blanc from Swartland you wont make a mistake.
Amazing flavor profile comes from the grape variety itself which is then complemented with buttery and creamy flavors from oak.

Chilean Sea Bass Prepared Different Ways

Grilled Chilean Sea bass

In case you would like to grill your sea bass, it would be the perfect time to take out your bottle of Spatburgunder or Gamay and enjoy it with your main course. The flavor profile of these wines, alongside soaring acidity will make your meal sophisticated.

Pan Fried Chilean Sea bass

If you opt out for having a butter or oil fried sea bass the optimal pairing would be a Chablis Premier cru or a oak aged Chenin blanc from South Africa. The buttery texture of the wine will pair amazingly with the oiliness of the crust on the sea bass.

Best Wine To Drink With Chilean Sea bass

The list you will see below has the wines we would suggest having with your dish. We will add a couple more just in case you would like to try something different.

They will all have necessary freshness, acidity and a good flavor profile for your meal.