Red, white or rosé? Six Italian wines for grilled, baked, poached and smoked salmon, with bottles to try, typical prices and what to avoid.
The best wine with salmon is a light, low-tannin red such as Pinot Nero, a dry rosé, or a full-bodied white such as Fiano di Avellino.
For grilled or roasted salmon, pour an Italian Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) from Alto Adige or the Oltrepò Pavese. Its low tannin does not clash with the fish. For white, choose a Fiano di Avellino, which has the body for an oily fish. A dry rosé such as Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo works with almost any salmon dish for about $15–25. For smoked salmon, open a dry sparkling wine from Franciacorta or Trento.
Salmon is an oily fish with a rich, meaty texture and a fairly strong flavor. That changes the usual fish rules.
Pinot Nero is the Italian name for Pinot Noir. In the cool mountain vineyards of Alto Adige and in the Oltrepò Pavese, south of Milan, it makes light to medium-bodied reds with red cherry, raspberry and a little spice. Bright acidity and gentle tannins are exactly what salmon needs. Expect about $20–35 for most bottles, more for single-vineyard wines.
Bottles to try: Pinot Nero Cantina Terlano, Pinot Nero Elena Walch, Pinot Nero 'Pernero' Travaglino from the Oltrepò. See also our Trentino-Alto Adige guide.
The Etna DOC in Sicily makes reds mainly from Nerello Mascalese. Etna Rosso is often compared to Pinot Noir: pale, with red fruit, herbs and a savory edge. Some bottles are firm, so choose a younger, simpler one for fish. Etna Rosato, the rosé, is lighter still and very good with grilled salmon. Most cost about $20–35.
Bottles to try: Etna Rosso Benanti, Etna Rosato Graci, Etna Rosato Benanti. More in our Etna wine guide.
Rosé is one of the easiest matches for salmon. Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is a deep pink rosé made from Montepulciano. It has cherry fruit and more body than most rosés, so it stands up to grilled or glazed salmon. Chiaretto from Lake Garda is paler and more delicate, made mostly from Corvina in Bardolino or from Groppello in Valtènesi. It suits poached or baked salmon. Both cost about $15–25.
Bottles to try: Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Tiberio, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 'Piè delle Vigne' Cataldi Madonna, Bardolino Chiaretto 'Rodon' Le Fraghe, Chiaretto 'RosaMara' Costaripa. See our Italian rosé guide.
Fiano from the hills around Avellino in Campania is one of Italy's fullest dry whites. It has pear, citrus, hazelnut and a smoky, mineral note, with good acidity. That mix of body and freshness suits salmon. Expect about $20–35.
Bottles to try: Fiano di Avellino 'Radici' Mastroberardino, Fiano di Avellino Villa Raiano, Fiano di Avellino Pietracupa. More in our Fiano guide.
For poached salmon or salmon with lemon and herbs, choose a fresh white with some texture. Lugana, from the south shore of Lake Garda, is made from Turbiana and has citrus, almond and a creamy feel. Friulano from Friuli is soft, with pear, almond and a light bitter finish. Ribolla Gialla is leaner and more lemony. All cost about $18–30.
Bottles to try: Lugana 'I Frati' Ca' dei Frati, Friulano Schiopetto, Ribolla Gialla Livio Felluga. See also our Friuli wine guide.
Salmon in a butter or cream sauce needs a rounder white. A Chardonnay fermented or aged in oak, from Alto Adige or Friuli, has the body and a gentle toasty note to match. Expect about $30–50.
Bottles to try: Chardonnay 'Glarea' Tramin, Chardonnay 'Kreuth' Cantina Terlano, Chardonnay 'Ronco delle Acacie' Le Vigne di Zamò.
Both work. White is the safer choice for poached salmon or salmon with lemon, dill or cream. A light, low-tannin red suits grilled, roasted or pan-seared salmon, where the char brings out a meatier flavor. If your guests disagree, a dry rosé pleases both sides.
Pinot Nero from Alto Adige or the Oltrepò Pavese, with Etna Rosso a close second. For a chilled option, try a light Italian red such as a young Bardolino.
Pinot Noir. Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied and tannic, and its tannins can taste bitter and metallic with fish. Pinot Noir has soft tannins and fresh acidity, so it lifts the fish instead of covering it.
It depends on the recipe. Chardonnay is better with butter, cream, mushrooms or roasted salmon. Sauvignon Blanc is better with lemon, herbs, green vegetables and asparagus. Alto Adige and Friuli make good examples of both; Sauvignon Blanc is usually labeled Sauvignon.
Smoked salmon is salty, smoky and oily. A dry sparkling wine is the classic answer: bubbles and acidity cut the oil and salt. Italy's best traditional-method sparkling wines come from Franciacorta in Lombardy and Trento in Trentino. Both are made like Champagne, mainly from Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. Expect about $30–50.
Bottles to try: Franciacorta Brut Ferghettina, Trento Brut 'Perlé' Ferrari. More in our Franciacorta guide.
What wine goes best with salmon?
A light, low-tannin red like Pinot Nero, a dry rosé like Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, or a full-bodied white like Fiano di Avellino.
Can you drink red wine with salmon?
Yes. Salmon is one of the few fish that suits red wine. Choose a light, soft red such as Pinot Nero or a young Etna Rosso, slightly chilled.
What is the best white wine with salmon?
Fiano di Avellino for most recipes; barrel-aged Chardonnay for butter or cream sauces; Lugana or Ribolla Gialla for lemon and dill.
Does Pinot Grigio go with salmon?
It can, but most Pinot Grigio is light and neutral, so it may taste thin next to salmon. A fuller white, such as Fiano, Lugana or Friulano, is a better match.
What wine goes with salmon and asparagus?
A crisp, herbal white such as an Alto Adige or Friuli Sauvignon, or a Ribolla Gialla. Avoid oaky whites and tannic reds.
Production rules and official information from the consortia of the wines in this guide: