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
to sweet selections Apple doughnuts with vanilla sauce
to sweet selections
- 5 große, säuerliche Äpfel
- 200 Gramm Mehl
- 2 Eier
- 250 ml Milch
- 2 EL Rum
- Nach Bedarf Schmalz oder Öl
- Nach Belieben Zimt, Zucker, Salz
Peel the apples and remove the core, cut into finger-thick, even slices. Drizzle with rum and sugar. Leave to infuse.
Stir the batter, it should be quite thick. Turn the apple rings in it and bake floating in hot fat until golden brown.
<p
<p>Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with cinnamon and sugar.
- Riesling (süß & edelsüß)
- Scheurebe (süß & edelsüß)
Stuffed, with paprika and pecorino Schnitzel rolls
Stuffed escalope rolls with paprika and pecorino
- Nach Belieben Pinienkerne, Basilikum, Knoblauch
- 8 Stück dünne Schweineschnitzel á ca. 75g & Holzspießchen
- 1 Glas rote geröstete Paprika
- 100 Gramm Pecorino-Käse
- Nach Bedarf Olivenöl, Salz, Pfeffer
Roast the pine nuts and leave to cool. Pluck the basil leaves and place in a blender with the finely chopped garlic, olive oil and pine nuts and blend gently. Finely grate the Parmesan and mix in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Wash the meat and pat dry. Drain the paprika in a sieve and finely grate the pecorino. Season the escalopes on both sides with salt and pepper and spread 1 tsp of pesto on each. Cover the escalopes with paprika, leaving approx. 3 cm free on one narrow side of each piece.
Spread the pecorino over the paprika. Roll up the meat from the coated side and pin in place with wooden skewers. Grill the escalope rolls on the barbecue for 20-25 minutes, turning if possible, and indirectly for the last 10 minutes.
- Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
- Lemberger (extra brut)
- Portugieser (trocken)
with pumpkin and white wine sauce Pasta with pumpkin and white wine sauce
with pumpkin and white wine sauce
- 750 Gramm Butternut-Kürbis(se)
- 3 kleine Zwiebeln
- 2 Zehen Knoblauch
- 1 Becher Crème fraîche
- 250 ml trockener Weißwein
- 500 ml Gemüsebrühe
- 25 Gramm Parmesan oder ähnlicher Hartkäse
- 400 Gramm Spaghetti oder andere Nudeln
- nach Geschmack Salz, Pfeffer, Zucker
- 4 EL Kürbiskerne, evtl. gehackt
- nach Belieben Muskat, Thymian
Sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Dice the butternut squash and add, season with pepper and sugar. When the cubes are still firm, pour in the white wine and vegetable stock. Continue cooking until the squash is firm to the bite.
In the meantime, cook and drain the pasta.
Add the thyme, nutmeg, salt and crème fraîche to the boiling pumpkin, bring to the boil and thicken. Stir in the parmesan and season to taste. You can also crush some diced pumpkin to make the sauce sweeter.
Arrange the pasta on plates and top with the pumpkin sauce.
Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Scheurebe (trocken)
with strong red wine Wild boar ragout
with strong red wine
- 800 Gramm Fleisch vom Wildschwein (Keule o. Schulter)
- 80 Gramm Bauchspeck
- 100 Gramm Zwiebeln
- 60 Gramm Karotten
- 60 Gramm Staudensellerie
- 1 TL Tomatenmark
- 200 ml kräftigen Rotwein
- 100 ml Portwein
- 1 Liter braune Wildbrühe
- 1 TL Preiselbeeren
- 1 EL geschlagene Sahne o. Sauerrahm
- 20 Gramm Mehl
- 1 Stück Lorbeerblatt
- je 1 Zweig Rosmarin und Thymian
- 4 zerdrückte Wacholderbeeren
- 1/2 TL Senf
- nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
Clean and wash the vegetables and cut into evenly sized cubes.
Remove the fat, skin and tendons from the wild boar meat and cut into 3 cm cubes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on all sides. Add the vegetables and diced bacon and fry. Add the tomato purée and stir fry. Deglaze with the red wine and port, reduce and pour in the brown game stock. Add the spices to the meat in a small spice bag and leave the ragout to simmer in the oven at 160°C for approx. 1½ hours.
Then remove the pieces of meat, remove the spices, strain the sauce, add the cranberries and mustard and leave to reduce for about 15 minutes. If necessary, thicken with a little cornflour. Serve with the whipped cream.
- Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
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