Steamed Fish

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 Steamed Fish · Steamed Fish Chinese · Chinese Style Steamed Fish

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 Steamed Fish · Steamed Fish Chinese · Chinese Style Steamed Fish

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 Steamed Fish Chinese · Chinese Style Steamed Fish

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 Steamed Fish · Cheese Style Steamed Fish

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 Steamed Fish · Steamed Fish With Soy Sauce

White · Medium · Off-dry

Lychee, rose petal, and a touch of ginger; medium-bodied, low-acid, and unmistakable. The wine for any cuisine where the spice cabinet did the heavy lifting.

Works with Steamed Fish Chinese · Chinese Style Steamed Fish

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 Steamed Fish Chinese · Chinese Style Steamed Fish

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.

White · Medium · Dry

Dry German Riesling — increasingly the country's flagship style. Stone fruit, slate minerality, racing acid; pairs beautifully with everything from sushi to schnitzel.

White · Light · Dry

Sancerre's cousin across the Loire — Sauvignon Blanc with a smokier, flintier profile. The 'fumé' in the name refers to that struck-match minerality.

Red · Medium · Dry

Chardonnay from Burgundy — runs from steely Chablis through buttery Meursault to chiseled Puligny-Montrachet. Style varies; quality rarely disappoints.