The success of Japanese cuisine in our country is largely thanks to sushi. Sushi is a combination based on rice with sweet vinegar blended with different ingredients, often raw fish.
Do we know what to serve with it though? Today, we are going to suggest some wines that pair perfectly with sushi.
Bearing in mind the ingredients in sushi:
- Vinegar: conferring acidity.
- Fish, vegetables or meat, usually raw: elegant and delicate flavours.
- Soya, wasabi or other dressings: intensity and umami.
From the looks of things, white wines are most likely to pair best. Let’s go into more detail.
Young white wines generally have a well-defined fruity nature, good acidity levels and hints of citrus fruit which will enhance the delicate flavours of sushi. Sushi with raw white fish and vegetables will pair perfectly well with: Albariño, Verdejo, Txacolí, Moscatel wines, etc.
White wine aged in barrels are stronger in the mouth with roasted, creamier flavours, that will pair wonderfully with warmer sushi or sushi served with more complex soya type sauces. Take note! Viura, Chardonnay, Xarel·lo, Merseguera barrel-aged crianza wines.
Wine made from Riesling grapes are characterised by their perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, making them indispensable for serving with Japanese food. They are complex, highly-flavoured, vibrant wines that bring out the flavour in any bite.
Red wines also have their place when being paired with sushi, particularly when it is based on blue fish such as tuna or mackerel, or oily fish such as eel, which combine perfectly with the fresh, fruity taste of young red wine.
As could not be otherwise sparkling wines, with their bubbles, make the perfect companion for many different cuisines, always enhancing the flavour of the dishes, and are always a wild card at our disposal.
If you are daring enough to take the full plunge into the Nippon world, try Sake, a treasure that is still largely undiscovered in the West.
Don’t miss out on more tips in our La Bodega de Consum articles.
