Catfish

White · Medium · Dry

The most-planted white grape and the most chameleon-like. Crisp and steely from Chablis; rich, oaky, and tropical from California. Read the label, then match the style to the dish.

Works with Catfish · Fried Catfish · Catfish Cajun +9 more Catfish · Fried Catfish · Catfish Cajun · Catfish/petrale · Grilled Catfish · Blackened Catfish · Oven Baked Catfish · Butter Fried Catfish · Batter-fried Catfish · Baked Stuffed Catfish · Catfish In Mustard Sauce · Pan Seared Catfish With Smoked Tomato Broth

Rosé · Light · Dry

Provence's gift to summer — dry, pale, faintly strawberry-and-citrus, with low alcohol and crisp acid. Made to drink cold, with food, in the shade.

Works with Cajun Catfish · Catfish Cajun · Catfish/petrale +5 more Cajun Catfish · Catfish Cajun · Catfish/petrale · Grilled Catfish · Blackened Catfish · Butter Fried Catfish · Pan Seared Catfish With Smoked Tomato Broth · Semolina Breaded Catfish With Creamy Polenta And Vinegar Pepper Slaw

White · Light · Dry

Citrus, cut grass, and a wire of acid. Marlborough makes it loudest; Sancerre makes it most refined. Either way, it cuts cleanly through goat cheese, herbs, and anything with shellfish.

Works with Catfish Cajun · Oven Baked Catfish · Batter-fried Catfish +4 more Catfish Cajun · Oven Baked Catfish · Batter-fried Catfish · Baked Stuffed Catfish · Ackee And Catfish Pocket · Catfish In Mustard Sauce · Semolina Breaded Catfish With Creamy Polenta And Vinegar Pepper Slaw

Rosé · Light · Dry

Provence's gift to summer — dry, pale, faintly strawberry-and-citrus, with low alcohol and crisp acid. Made to drink cold, with food, in the shade.

Works with Catfish · Fried Catfish · Pan Fried Catfish +3 more Catfish · Fried Catfish · Pan Fried Catfish · Fried Catfish Filet · Butter-fried Catfish · Pan Fried Catfish Filet

White · Light · Dry

Italy's everyday white — light, lemony, neutral by design. Pleasant with anything; profound with very little. The best Friuli bottles are quietly excellent.

Works with Oven Baked Catfish · Creole Catfish Stew · Batter-fried Catfish +3 more Oven Baked Catfish · Creole Catfish Stew · Batter-fried Catfish · Baked Stuffed Catfish · Catfish In Mustard Sauce · Semolina Breaded Catfish With Creamy Polenta And Vinegar Pepper Slaw

White · Light · Off-dry

Washington and Finger Lakes Rieslings split the difference between Mosel delicacy and Alsatian heft — bright stone fruit, modest sweetness, lively acid. A natural with Thai, Indian, and anything off the spice rack.

Works with Southern Fried Catfish · Ginger Catfish (trey Cha K'nyei) · Oven-fried Catfish With Dill Tartar Sauce +2 more Southern Fried Catfish · Ginger Catfish (trey Cha K'nyei) · Oven-fried Catfish With Dill Tartar Sauce · Spicy Catfish With Bell Peppers And Onions · Fried Catfish Sandwiches With Curried Mayonnaise

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Spain's traditional-method sparkling, made in Catalunya. Crisper and chalkier than Prosecco; remarkable value next to Champagne. Pair with jamón, tortilla, and grilled vegetables.

Works with Catfish/petrale · Grilled Catfish · Blackened Catfish +1 more Catfish/petrale · Grilled Catfish · Blackened Catfish · Butter Fried Catfish

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Méthode champenoise from the most chalk-rich corner of France — fine bubbles, brioche, lemon zest, and a finish that goes on for half a minute. The wine for anything fried, salty, or special.

Works with Oven Baked Catfish · Batter-fried Catfish · Baked Stuffed Catfish +1 more Oven Baked Catfish · Batter-fried Catfish · Baked Stuffed Catfish · Catfish In Mustard Sauce

Red · Light · Dry

Burgundy's most temperamental grape, but the rewards are real — translucent ruby with a perfumed lift of red cherry, forest floor, and clove. Silken tannins and bright acid make it the most versatile red on the table; serve cool, around 58°F.

Works with Catfish/petrale · Grilled Catfish · Blackened Catfish +1 more Catfish/petrale · Grilled Catfish · Blackened Catfish · Butter Fried Catfish

White · Light · Dry

Marche's quietly excellent white — apple and almond, a faint bitterness on the finish, and unusual ageability for an Italian white. Try the Castelli di Jesi Riserva.

Works with Black Catfish · Spicy Blackened Catfish · Ginger Catfish (trey Cha K'nyei) +1 more Black Catfish · Spicy Blackened Catfish · Ginger Catfish (trey Cha K'nyei) · Oven-fried Catfish With Dill Tartar Sauce

White · Medium · Dry

California and Pacific Northwest Gewürztraminer — lychee, rose petal, ginger, made riper and fuller than Alsace. The American spicy-food companion.

Works with Black Catfish · Southern Fried Catfish · Spicy Blackened Catfish

White · Light · Off-dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.

Works with Catfish Cajun · Catfish Ettouffee · Chile-lime Catfish