Food and Wine Pairing – Grilled Grouper

My friends frequently ask for wine pairing ideas, and always love to help them out. I often just think about the last few wines I’ve had, and pick one or two of those. I’ve decided to start cataloging those recommendations here, to build a library and resource for everyone to use. There are, of course, dozens of places to find food and wine pairing tips, but I hope to make this your go to resource. Today, my friend Ron asked about pairing a nice white wine with Grilled Grouper for Valentines Day.

Grouper is a white, flaky fish, and is a staple here in South Florida. I’ve enjoyed it many ways, but Robin and I definitely opt for it grilled. It’s a clean flavor, and the grill just gives it the right seasonings. It’s also fairly easy to pair a host of wines with Grouper.

The first wine that comes to mind with Grouper is Chardonnay. While Grouper can definitely stand up to a buttery, toasty Chardonnay, such as Le Crema or Sonoma Cutrer, I would prefer to put it with a unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay. The first option that come to mind is Wente Wines Riva Ranch 2008 Chardonnay. For just $20, this wine offers great fruit, nice oak integration without being a hunk of wood in a bottle, and has great acidity that makes it very food friendly. The nose is bursting with pear and white flower scents, with bosch pear or yellow apple on the palate and a finish of spice that lasts a very long time.

The next Chardonnay that comes to mind to pair with grilled grouper is Paraiso, a Chardonnay from Santa Lucia Highlands, CA. Ripe tropical fruit (pineapple, citrus, melon) is teamed to rich viscosity, bright acidity, and a light overlay of vanilla from the gentle oak aging. For $19, this wine would make your meal rock.  Finally, a value Chardonnay that I have been talking about non stop, Gougenheim 2009 Chardonnay. This delicious white wine from Argentina offers a great balance of fruit and toasted notes from gentle oak aging. An easy drinking wine well worth it’s price of under $9.

If you want to try a different grape, Sauvignon Blanc and Grilled grouper would pair expertly. I have two in mind, as I just discussed them for television segments on Daytime, a nation wide morning show I contribute to. The first is Chateau Les Maines 2008 Cuvee Soleil D’or from Bordeaux, France. The nose is very fruit driven, with pear and “minerals” showing. The palate is crisp, with citrus and a little zip that really delights your tongue. Great acid on the finish, this $15 white wine will definitely work nicely with grilled grouper.

Another French white that I loved recently was Jean-Francois Merieau 2008 Touraine, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, France. Also retailing for about $15, this white wine showed bosch pear on the notes, and had a soft, silky mouthfeel. Flavors of lemongrass and citrus fruits, there was perfect acidity and balance. It was a pleasure to drink, and it would fit in well on the dinner table with a white fish like Grouper. We paired this with shrimp sauteed in garlic and white wine, and it was a fantastic meal.

There are many other wine options to pair with Grilled Grouper, and I’d love to hear your ideas. Let me know which wines would make it to your table by leaving a comment below.