Ocean meets Wine
Seafood and fish, paired with delicious wines, sounds like beaches, lively promenades and a wide horizon. Whether prepared Nordic, Asian or Mediterranean: The delights of the oceans harmonize perfectly with German wines if you take a few tips to heart.
Facts
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70 %
of the earth's surface is made up by the oceans
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11.034 m
the Mariana Trench is deep
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9.000 species
different creatures live in the Mediterranean
The great variety of seafood invites you to be creative in the kitchen. And the great variety of German white and rosé wines makes it easy to find just the right wine to go with your crustaceans, mussels and seafood delights. As a rule, rosé or white wines are better companions for shellfish and crustaceans than red wines. This is because the protein of the seafood reacts with the tannins contained in the red wine – and that often leads to a dull, metallic taste.
The classic appetizer is a shrimp or prawn cocktail with a lush cocktail sauce. Since the crabmeat is subtly sweet, the appetizer may even be served with canned fruit such as peach or pineapple pieces. A strong, pleasantly dry single-site Riesling, to be found in many German wine-growing regions, is a harmonious companion for the shrimp cocktail. And if you serve the prawn cocktail along with the aperitif, you will be delighted to find how well it is suited to Winzersekt Brut with Riesling or Pinot Blanc as a base wine.
In the Mediterranean cuisine, crustaceans are often sautéed in a pan with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and herbs, and they are often served alongside pasta. The fine vegetable aromas are nicely accentuated by a chewy Silvaner or a complex Sauvignon Blanc.
Fans of Asian food may use crustaceans in a Thai curry, prepared with ample amounts of ginger, chili and fresh, crisp vegetables. Lovely with Riesling, Muscatel and Scheurebe with subtle residual sugar. If you prefer dry wines, try your Thai curry with a creamy Pinot Blanc.
Mussels or cockles boast tender meat and a subtle taste. As a rule, they are steamed and served with a sauce that is not too dominant and uses root vegetables, white wine, pepper, cream or tomato puree as ingredients. These mussels also taste great in Mediterranean pasta dishes. Ideally, they are accompanied by not too full-bodied and dry white wines such as Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc or Silvaner. A Portugieser rosé is another great choice.
A dry Winzersekt is not the only suitable companion for oysters, which are enjoyed raw, very well chilled and with just a few splashes of lemon juice. Their pure taste also goes very well with a light white wine with subtle aromas, such as Chasselas from the Markgräflerland region, an Auxerrois from the upper reaches of the Moselle or a Pinot Blanc from Franconia. The adventurous among you might want to try and combine oysters with noble sweet wines, as the Russian tsars used to do. A Riesling Auslese or Beerenauslese from the Moselle or the Middle Rhine region that has aged for a long time is an excellent choice. The saltiness of the oyster will interplay with the slate minerality and the mature fruitiness of these wines.
Seafood such as squid or octopus is often fried and served with a dip of aioli. They go very well with a crisp, fresh and dry Pinot Noir rosé or a dry Pinot Gris. If the shellfish is thinly sliced and served as a carpaccio, marinated in lime juice and olive oil, a dry Silvaner or Sauvignon Blanc might prove to be the best companion.
During the barbecue season, lobster or crayfish can be cut in half lengthwise and roasted on the shell, merely seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. The hearty roast aromas of the barbecue render the taste of the crustaceans even more intense. Consequently, they can take full-bodied wines with wooden cask aromas – such as barrique Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc from the Pfalz region or Baden.
Shellfish such as scampi and prawns are roasted in a grill tray inside their shell, so they don’t lose too much of their juice. All seafood should never be cooked for too long or over too much heat. This kind of seafood likes a fresh Pinot Blanc.
Fish such as trout, char and gilthead are often softer and juicier when grilled wrapped in tin foil rather than directly on the grate. Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Silvaner are perfect partners. A light Riesling from the Moselle with subtle fruitiness is welcome as well.
If the fish is prepared directly on the grate or in a grill tray, maybe even marinated or strongly seasoned, it requires a partner such as a stronger Riesling or Chardonnay. A lightly chilled dry red wine can also be an adequate companion for heartily seasoned fish.
Whole fish with herbs can take a juicy Silvaner, which also boats herbal aromas – or even a red wine that is not too full-bodied.
Where is the northernmost vineyard in Germany?
Germany's northernmost vineyard is located on Sylt. On 3,000 square meters, interested people have taken over the sponsorship of 555 vines, from which the "Söl'viin" has been produced since 2014.
Varietals
More recipe ideas
with pears, beans, parsley root and black walnuts Venison medallions
with pears, beans, parsley root and black walnuts
- 12 Stück Rehmedaillions (a 80g)
- 30 Gramm gebratene Speckstreifen
- 200 ml Bechamelsauce
- 3 EL Sonnenblumenöl
- 8 kleine Petersilienwurzeln mit Grün (alternativ Knollensellerie)
- 6 - 8 breite Schnippelbohnen
- 1 große Birne
- 4 - 6 schwarze Walnüsse
- 100 ml Wildfond
- 2 EL Butter
- 2 Stängel glatte Petersilie
- nach Geschmack Salz
Preheat the oven to 180 °C top and bottom heat. Clean, peel and trim the parsley roots. Clean the beans and cut into diagonal pieces. Blanch the parsley roots and beans separately in boiling salted water and rinse immediately in iced water.
Cut the walnuts into eighths and warm in the game stock. Wash the unpeeled pear, cut into eighths, remove the core and cut into thin slices. Fry the venison medallions on both sides in oil, then finish cooking in the oven for approx. 3 - 5 minutes.
In the meantime, toss the beans and parsley roots in melted butter and season with salt. Arrange the vegetables with the black walnuts and pear slices on large plates. Place the medallions on top, garnish with game stock, Béchamel sauce and bacon strips.
Tip: You can make your own black walnuts. To do this, prick the walnuts all over with a fork or skewer and place in water for 10 days. Change the water every day so that the tannic acid can drain off. Boil the nuts 3 times in salted water until they are deep black. Simmer with bay leaves and peppercorns for approx. 20 minutes until soft. Layer in preserving jars and cover with syrup. The nuts can be kept for approx. 1 year.
- Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
- Pinot Gris (trocken)
with ribbon noodles Coq au Riesling
with ribbon noodles
- 1 ganzes Huhn
- 0,4 Liter Riesling
- 0,2 Liter Sahne
- 1 kl. Glas Cognac
- 2 Stück Schalotten
- 1 Stück Knoblauchzehe
- 1 Stück Eigelb
- 1/2 Bund Petersilie
- 1 EL Mehl
- 50 Gramm Butter
- 1 EL Olivenöl
- nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
Carve the chicken. Heat approx. 50 g butter with 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken pieces until light brown (without the lid). Season lightly with salt.
Finely chop the shallots, peel and finely chop the garlic. Chop the parsley and add everything to the meat. Sauté briefly with the pan closed. Pour the cognac over the meat and light it (flambé). Deglaze with 1/3 litre of Riesling and leave to simmer for half an hour over a low heat. If necessary, add a little more wine and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm for a short time. Mix 1 tbsp of flour with 1 egg yolk and the cream and whisk into the sauce. Flavour with salt and pepper. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Serve immediately.
This goes well with tagliatelle.
Variant:Fry 150 g fresh mushrooms in 50 g butter and add.
- Riesling (trocken)
with semi-frozen goat's milk Lavender waffles
with semi-frozen goat's milk
- 2 Stück Eigelb
- 60 ml Ziegenmilch
- 500 Gramm weiße Kuvertüre
- 125 ml Sahne
- Abrieb und Saft einer halben Orange
- 2 cl Tresterbrand
- 8 Blatt Minze
- 125 Gramm Mehl
- 50 Gramm Zucker
- 70 Gramm Butter
- 2 Eier
- 1 Messerspitze Backpulver
- 1/2 EL Lavendelzucker
- 175 ml Milch
Semi-frozen goat's milk: Beat the egg yolks and goat's milk in a bowl over a hot bain-marie until creamy. Remove from the bain-marie and beat the cream until cold. Flavour with the zest of the orange and the marc brandy.
Liquefy the couverture in a bain-marie and stir into the lukewarm egg mixture. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully fold in. Line a parfait tin (triangular or gutter shape) with cling film. Pour in the mixture and smooth out. Cover well with cling film and leave to freeze in the freezer for at least 8 hours.
About 20 minutes before serving, remove the mould from the freezer and turn the parfait out of the mould. Remove the foil and cut the semi-frozen parfait into 8 slices.
<p
<p>Lavender wafers: Lightly mash the butter in a mixing bowl with a fork. Add the sugar and stir a little. Add half of the milk, the lavender sugar and the baking powder. Stir in the eggs and finally the rest of the milk. Mix everything well with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes to create a homogeneous, slightly liquid mixture. Bake the batter in batches in a waffle iron until golden brown.</p
<p>Arrange 2 slices of semifreddo on each waffle on a flat plate and decorate with mint leaves.
- Riesling (halbtrocken & feinherb)
in a bacon coating Lamb
in a bacon coating
- 4 Stück Lammlachse à 150 g
- 4 Scheiben Bacon
- 0,1 Liter Wein
- 0,3 Liter Gemüsebrühe
- 1 kleine Schalotte
- 20 Gramm Butter
- 4 EL Olivenöl
- je 2 Zweige Thymian, Rosmarin, Salbei
- nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer
Season the lamb salmon with pepper and massage 2 tbsp of olive oil into the meat. Finely chop the thyme, rosemary and sage and season the meat in the herbs. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours.
<p
<p>Wrap the meat with the bacon slices and sear on all sides in the remaining olive oil. Continue to cook for approx. 4 minutes on each side over a low heat (the cooking time depends on the thickness of the lamb loin - it is best to do a pressure test). Then wrap in aluminium foil and leave to rest in the oven at 80 °C – so they remain juicy and slightly pink on the inside.
This goes well with Bärlauch risotto.
- Dornfelder (trocken)
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