Pairing Wine With Monkfish

Monkfish is a great meaty fish that can be served roasted and paired with a salad and a glass of white Burgundy or it can be prepared with lentils and paired with lighter red wines. The best part is that you have a host of wines to select from when you pick this dish to pair with. We recommend not going for very light white wines when monkfish is prepared either roasted or grilled as these preparations enhance the meatiness of the fish and will overpower the wine.

Roasted potatoes, vegetable casserole, sauteed mushrooms, and broccoli are some easy-to-serve side dishes with Monkfish. These would be best paired with lighter-bodied reds like Pinot Noir, or Barolo. If you’re looking for whites we’d suggest a Viognier or Riesling.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Monkfish

Monkfish are often sold as easy-to-steak filets because they have no small bones. It is best to go for wines that have distinct flavors on the palette so that they don’t interfere with the fish meat. 

Best Red Wine To Drink With Monkfish

When selecting a red wine for monkfish it’s best to go with some of the classics. We suggest lighter body options such as an Italian Sangiovese and Barolo or a classic Pinot Noir.

Sangiovese

An easy-to-drink, light accompaniment for monkfish would be a Sangiovese. Native to Italy, this grape variety offers tighter tannins with rich and rusty flavors of dark fruits like plum.

Pinot Noir

One of the best choices to pair with Monkfish is Pinot Noir. Its light tannins but notes of cinnamon, dark fruit, and tobacco don’t overpower the fish but complement the grilled fish.

Barolo

An Italian Barolo would be one of the best reds that can be paired with delicately prepared monkfish. The mild red wine varietals would complement the flavors in a barbequed fish.

Best White Wine To Drink With Monkfish

Pairing monkfish with white wine is another way to balance out this meal by offering a more light, crispy, and softer wine instead of going for heavy reds. Overall, a balanced pairing.

Riesling

The wonderful acidic nature and mouthfulness of this slightly more sweet offering are for those with an acquired taste willing to experiment with their wine pairings. We’d recommend a glass of classic German Riesling which has light fruit notes that go well with this dish in the summer.

Viognier

Orange and exotic fruits like mango make up this rare gem of a wine making it a fantastic option to pair with all kinds of fish dishes. The notes of ginger and anise make this wine stand out well.

Best Wine To Drink With Monkfish 

Monkfish is a fish that can be prepared in many different ways. It can be paired well with any wines that you’d have available. You can go for some all-time classics or try new ones. Our best recommendations for monkfish would be:

• Sangiovese
• Barolo
• Pinot Noir
• Riesling
• Viognier