Pairing Wine With Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi – also known as Dorado fish, it likes temperate waters and it is often found in tropical waters. It’s a flaky fish which is very similar to halibut due to its denseness. It’s a mildly flavored fish with a bit of a sweeter taste.

Mahi Mahi can be paired with both white wines and light red wines, depending on the sauce that the mahi mahi is served with. We would recommend having medium to full bodied white wines with citrus and stone fruit aromas and hints of creaminess. When it comes to the red wines we would suggest sticking to light to medium bodied reds.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Mahi Mahi

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry
Acidity	Medium
Tannins	Low
Body	Medium to Full Bodied White, Light Reds
Tasting Notes	White Wine Notes – Tropical fruit, stone fruit, butter, cream Red Wine Notes – Ripe red fruit, smoke

Sweetness – The fish itself has a slightly sweeter taste but we would recommend sticking to dry wines.

Acidity – Medium acidity level is just enough to match the freshness of the dish and cleanse your palate.

Tannins – When it comes to the red wines, stick to low tannin levels not to overpower your main course.

Body – Medium to full bodied white wines are great with this fish and will make a sophisticated pairing. Red wines should be light in body as it’s easy to overwhelm the fish.

Tasting Notes – Stick to wines with stone fruit and tropical fruit when it comes to white wines. Red wines should be more oriented towards red fruit flavors and aromas. Both of the styles will generally benefit from butter, smoke, cream aromas from oak aging.

Best Red Wine To Drink With Mahi Mahi

Most red wines will be too heavy for the Mahi Mahi and lots of times the pairing depends on the sauce the fish is served with. When it comes to sauces with tomatoes or a bit of red wine, having a red wine would enhance the flavors of the sauce and in general it will make a great pairing.

We would recommend sticking to wines with light body, medium acidity, low tannins, core red fruit aromas and hints of smoke from oak aging.

Frappato from Italy

This red wine comes from the island of Sicily where it produces wines with lots of red fruit aromas, light body, low tannins and a nice moderate acidity. It can be made unoaked or it can age in oak too, which will generally add spice and smoke to the wine which will complement the Mahi Mahi.

Grenache from France

Grenache is a grape variety which is mostly blended in the south of France, however when the wine is made as a single varietal Grenache, it is almost always light in body with low tannins and red fruit aromas. It is aged in oak, which adds the necessary aromas and flavors to the wine.

Best White Wine To Drink With Mahi Mahi

White fish such as Mahi Mahi pairs perfectly with white wines and taking into consideration the cooking methods and sauces to accompany the fish, we can suggest lots of different options and styles of wines to pair with your main course.

White wines with medium to full body, medium acidity, tropical and stone fruit aromas, complemented with aromas from oak, will generally make great pairings with Mahi Mahi.

Gewurztraminer from France

Gewurztraminer is a grape variety which produces wines in various styles in the region of Alsace, however we would recommend sticking to a dry Gewurztraminer. WIth a moderate acidity, medium body and an aromatic, tropical nose it pairs its oily texture with the fish perfectly.

Pinot Grigio from Italy

A crisp wine with stone fruit aromas and hints of spice, it will cut through the fish while complementing the flavors and texture of the dish. When grown in Alsace it is called Pinot Gris and the style can be a bit more fuller in body, however both of them work perfectly with Mahi Mahi.

Chardonnay from England

Now this is an upcoming wine producing country, with its vineyards mostly located in the south west. England produces great Chardonnays which are often aged in oak but have a good acidity level. Finding one with barrel fermentation and oak aging will usually give a bit less acidity and a rounder texture.
Pro tip: Find sparkling wine from England, made with traditional method, like Champagne. They will cut through the fish and will complement the dish perfectly with the aromas coming from the lees aging.

Best Wine To Drink With Mahi Mahi

The list below has wines listed we would suggest having with Mahi Mahi. Feel free to experiment with these, no doubt you will enjoy the wine pairings.