Sea Bass Wines
… a broad spectrum of options …
Recipes abound for sea bass. From seared fillets; Mediterranean options with tomatoes, olives and oregano; East Asian style with ginger scallions and soy; baked parchment encased options with capers, herbs and lemons; miso-glazed recipes and then caramelised; and a whole host more.
Chefs love the versatility and ability to pair with citrus, herbs, and seasonings to work with the clean, mild flavor that doesn’t overpower sauces, plus a tender yet resilient texture that holds up to high-heat searing, baking, or steaming, and forgiving margins with cooking.
With such an array of options, it is difficult to pin down a single wine that would work with every dish. However, here are a few options.
1 - Domaine Careme Vouvray Spring Sec 2022, Loire, France.
Mediterranean style seabass dishes. The Chenin Blanc covers the entire spectrum of white wine styles in the Loire from bone dry to lusciously sweet. This is dry, but not bone dry, with stone fruit flavours combined with distinctive green apples and ripe pear flavours. For the price, immensely drinkable and would work perfectly with crustaceans as an opener for lunch.
£12.50 - Waitrose - on offer until early March - merchant link
2 - Langhe Chardonnay, Figli Luigi Oddero 2023, Piedmont, Italy.
Parchment encased with capers, herbs and lemons. It has good acidity that would work with this type of recipe, and bright, tight fruit on the palate that would slip down easily over lunch. This was a real surprise from the selection of wines that had been assembled for this pairing. A family run business that started producing wines in 1975 and is known for exceptional Barolos and Barbarescos, so a Chardonnay is an unusual option. But at this discounted price, a very good glass of well made wine that could be mistaken for a cold climate white from much further north in Europe.
£20.00 - Berry’s - inc 20% discount - merchant link
3 - Forest Hill Vineyard: ‘Estate’ Chardonnay 2024, Western Australia.
Seared fillets. Again, a surprise as you would normally expect to find classic French offerings from Yapp and not a well crafted Oz Chardonnay. Here we have another cool climate offering with citrusy grapefruit and lime flavours, light oak and a comfortable finish. Definitely needs food, and sea bass would be a great marriage. A rather atypical Western Australian Chardonnay.
£22.00 - Yapp - merchant link
4 - Beaujolais-Villages, ‘Leynes - Les Magnons’ Blanc 2022, Domaine de Fa, Beaujolais, France.
Miso-glazed recipes. It’s not often you find a Beaujolais Blanc on a merchant’s shelf. 40+ years back you would have found it rather than a Mâcon, Rully, Givry or Mercurey. 100% Chardonnay and made by Maxine and Antoine Graillot of Domaine Alain Graillot - see below. This white seems to be under-the-radar from the critics as they all focus on this Domaine’s red Beaujolais Crus. Single-vineyard wine showing real depth with plenty of expressive citrus fruit tones combined with apricot and peach flavours. Would also work to perfection on a Friday evening with a rich, well-seasoned, fish pie.
£24.00 - Yapp - merchant link
5 - Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 2024, Alain Graillot, Northern Rhône, France.
East Asian options. With a blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne, there is enough weight here to sit very comfortably alongside lightly spiced fish dishes. This Domaine consistently delivers exceptional reds and whites from this region. Ripe pears, light oak, juicy acidity, touch of tangerines, and a great finish. There is a classy structure that provides excellent length and a full, rich body, with the tiniest hint of honey and spice in the mid-palate. You could drink this with many, many full-bodied seabass creations as well as poached salmon, tuna concoctions with ginger, and concentrated Bouillabaisse.
£35.00 - Yapp - merchant link
