I have been asked to provide and serve the wine for a dinner entree of sauteed Lake Trout from the depths of Lake Superior. My only experience with this fish are from canoeing trips to the Boundry Waters where the only beverages we had were cold water and hot coffee. I recall that the flesh is very dense and oily.
I am sure the preparation will be excellent ( we will be in well furnished nearby residence) but am seeking your wine suggestions. Thanks.
I am far from a very experienced wine pair-er (I tend to drink what I want and eat what I want, sometimes attempting to properly pair a wine with food, but not always), but the description makes me think a brighter Cru Beaujolais might be a nice match. I could be very wrong, too, but thatās what popped into my head.
White burgundy or something similar like would be my first thought.
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Iād probably go with a GG or Kabinett Riesling. Maybe a white Rhone. I would want something to play off the sweetness you can get with trout.
An earthy style (not too fruit forward) pinot noirā¦Domaine de la Cote.
The Peter Michael line of pinots could be a good match, as well.
We just killed a bottle of 2018 Williams Selyem Rochioli River Block that would fit the bill, if it is easily found.
Many Burgundy options, as well.
This fish will do well with a pinot, methinks.
Cheers, and let us know how it goes!
Iād go with a white Burg but surely a lighter red could work well too.
I imported wines from Savoy (French āSavoieā, Italy āSavoiaā) for decades. There are featherweight, flavorful whites that are a perfect match. Iāve eaten a lot of freshwater trout up there in the Alps, accompanied by these wines. Savoy wines are not easy to find here, but far from rare.
From Savoie in France, look for Apremont, or similar wines from Abymes, Montmelian, Chignin (Chignin-Bergeron is a synonym for Roussanne and possibly too rich for this dinner). These are mostly made from the Jacquere grape.
From Aosta in Italy, look for a Petit Arvine or a Traminer Aromatico. Or a Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, made from Prie Blanc.
The trout and these wines grew up together!
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Especially if prepared āAmandineā!!
Thanks, Anton: I have pairs of the '16 and '17s WS-R remaining.
I have not had a Peter Michael pinot- style similar to Arnot- Roberts?
Yes, lots of options but I think much would depend on how the fish is prepared beyond sauteeing. Is it just sauteed with no sauce of any kind?
When I have certain wines that I want to drink, and fish is on the menu, I usually tweak the prep/adornments and can take the same fish in wildly different wine directions.
I think the Peter Michaels are more reticent, but not in a bad way. Sorry for the poor vocabulary here: not as overtly vibrant, perhaps.
Your favorite white wine.
Donāt over think this. Trout is a mild flavored fish, and even if itās a larger oily one, itās going to be at strongest a mild salmon. Iād imagine that this will be cooked with butter and lemon, maybe a little shallot or garlic, or parsley. You could go with a buttery white like new world Chardonnay, or fume blanc style Sauvignon blanc. You could go with a richer Rhone white. You could go lean and acidic and minerally with Chablis, Bordeaux blanc, or a loire white. You could even go with an aromatic gerwurztraminer if your buddy is going to bust out a 1950s fruity recipe. Heck, Santa margarita pinot Grigio from middle shelf of a supermarket.
Personally, I donāt like red wines with fish. In the words of Barry from sandwiches of history, itās a minus down. I find that the red brings out the fishiness of the fish and the fish brings out the alcohol in the wine.
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I spend a lot of time on Lake Superior, hope you enjoy your time on the lake!
Ive tried OR Pinot with lake trout and havenāt been pleased. Cotats Rose and Sancerre both worked. Iāve been happiest with OR, Wash Chards or a Mount Eden Chard (which I think goes with anything!).
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Vouvray.
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If prepared simply, a semi-dry Riesling or Chenin Blanc.
My buddy does an annual trip to Jackson Lake (Wyoming) to āmeat-fishā for Lake Trout, trolling at some depth with down-riggers. Dannyās points are spot-on. We use that fish for fish tacos, coating the meat with some spicy breading and then sautĆ©ing the fish. Good stuff.
Back in 2012 he and I trolled for Lakers on Yellowstone Lake (where the law requires you kill any Lake Trout you catch). We filleted the fish while still out on the lake our last day of fishing. Hereās a picture of the fillets - looks a lot like salmon but, as Danny points out, the flavors are nowhere near even mild salmon.
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Many thanks to all of you who responded. Unfortunately , (or fortunately depending on your taste for lake trout)
our host was not able to secure the quality of lake trout he usually does. He did get some delicious walleye fillets from a Canadian source which were delicious.
The 2 bottles of W-S Pinot Noir were excellent and fully consumed in enjoying the Alaskan Salmon steaks
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