Which wine goes better with fish, chardonney or savignon blanc?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
The quick answer is that many people enjoy wines from both grapes with fish; on the simplest level, each tends to be complementary. Going a little further in terms of matching, first consider that there are richer, more flavorful and lighter, more delicate types of both wines and fish. So decide, first, the type of fish - shrimp, sole, salmon, etc. - and the preparation style - grilled, delicately seasoned, Cajun, and so on - and you can then come up with a more finely tuned pairing. For example, oysters or clams on the half shell would work well with a subtle, very dry, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley, New Zealand, South Africa). Chardonnay of a similar profile would be equally good (Chablis is a great option, or others labeled "unoaked"). For richer fish such as salmon or lobster for that matter, a generous, ripe, oak-matured Chardonnay is generally a better partner, as is an equivalent Sauvignon Blanc from California or Bordeaux. So, with respect to these two grapes, the style of the wine is more significant than the grape itself for purposes of matching with food. If you're interested in this subject, you can look at my website for further options (vintrinsic.com/wineandfoodguide).
