Sushi and rolls, as representatives of Japanese cuisine, of course, are best combined with sake. But this does not mean at all that they cannot be paired with a more traditional European alcohol – wine.
General rules
Usually, red wine pairs poorly with rice and seafood, and it “sounds” even worse with soy sauce. However, there are exceptions to this rule – if you definitely want to arrange a Japanese evening with red wine, you need to choose brands with a low content of alcohol and tannins, but it is better to cook sushi with salmon or tuna.
White wine is much more versatile in this sense, but too sweet varieties must be avoided. We can say that the drier the drink, the better, and with the more variety of sushi and rolls it can be served.
Rolls to wine
Both sushi and rolls are common names for a huge variety of dishes. They don’t even necessarily include seafood, as this example of Japanese cuisine is interpreted differently in each country, and often local products are used for its preparation. There are also vegan vegetable rolls, and dessert rolls with fruit and cream cheese.
A short list of proven combinations:
- Albariño and Tempura. This is a classic example of white wine for sushi: notes of lemon, lime, green peas and flowers perfectly set off the sweet and oily shrimp in tempura.
- Grüner Veltliner and Dragon Roll with Cucumber and Avocado. The high acidity of the drink is softened by rice, crab and avocado, while the notes of lime and white pepper become even more expressive.
- Prosecco and Rolls with scallops. This Italian sparkling wine has a rich fruity aroma and goes well with sweet, delicate and sometimes even slightly creamy scallops. Instead of Prosecco, you can take Cremant or Champagne.
- Rosé from Provence and California rolls. Mineral notes and nuances of red berries are felt in this dry wine, shading seafood and creamy taste of avocado.
- New Zealand Pinot Noir and Philadelphia rolls. Red wine with sushi should be light-bodied, otherwise it will drown out the delicate taste of seafood, and this is just an example of such a drink. Tannins can give the fish a metallic flavor, but in this particular case, this effect is offset by cream cheese.
- Sherry and sushi with sea urchin. Fino and other representatives of this style have a salty taste that pairs perfectly with seafood, especially sea urchin.
- Riesling and rolls with spicy tuna. Usually such rolls are made with the addition of mayonnaise, which makes an excellent gastronomic pair with aromatic wine with high acidity.
- Gewürztraminer and Unagi roll with eel. Eel is similar in texture to chicken, but has a sweetish flavor and strong aroma, and, accordingly, requires the same strong and aromatic wine.
Universal wines for sushi
You can carefully pair sushi with wine or use the tried-and-true combinations from the list above, but if the choice is not so great, the following wines are suitable for most seafood dishes, including Japanese cuisine: Gavi, Muscadet, Assyrtiko and Chablis.