Seafood in South Africa

With the coming of summer, most of us begin thinking about patio parties and outdoor dining. Lighter summer fare is the order of the day, and seafood plays a large part in our summer cuisine.

Here’s a question – What do the winemaking areas of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have in common? Well, for one thing, they are all countries that lie well south of the equator. And of course they all produce world class wine. But the other common denominator is that they all have a close proximity to the ocean. Australia is our only island continent, and its best winemaking regions are largely coastal. New Zealand is comprised of a pair of beautiful islands set in the south Pacific. And South Africa is bordered by not one, but two oceans – the Atlantic and the Indian.

So yes, these are important areas, not only for impressive and delicious wine, but also for some serious seafood!

Here in Florida we can also lay claim to great seafood, and now is the time to enjoy it. The wonderful aromatic whites of our antipodean neighbors make a perfect pairing with summer fare. Their light, crisp, acidic qualities are an excellent match. Think about it – What do most of us do before enjoying lighter-style fish or shellfish? We squeeze a little lemon on it because the acidity brings out the flavor. That’s exactly what happens with wine, too. It enhances the flavor of food with its acidity.

Monkey Bay in New Zealand

While no food and wine pairing rules are written in stone, it is generally advantageous to think about the texture of the dish (heavy or light) and pair it with a wine of similar weight. So let’s look at a few dishes from the sea and a few wines that you may want to pair with them –

Raw Oysters:  Try Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Graham Beck Sparkling N/V Brut or Painted Wolf Chenin Blanc from South Africa or Nugan Third Generation Chardonnay from Australia.

Mussels:  Perfect with Silver Beach Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Clams (Raw or Casino):  Will pair well with Sauvignon Blanc (such as the racy and vibrant Young Meg from Marlborough), sparkling brut or dry Chenin Blanc.

Shrimp:  Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc will work well, or go with the pungent tropical notes of the Elephant Hill Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc. If you are serving breaded or tempura shrimp, however, it’s best to go with sparkling brut (or beer).

Scallops:  You might want to serve a slightly weightier white here, such as a rich, creamy Chardonnay.

Crab:  Sparkling brut, Chardonnay or dry Riesling will pair perfectly.

Lobster:  Sparkling brut or Chardonnay are textbook pairings, but many of us forget how well dry or off-dry Riesling works with lobster. Try Chateau Tanunda Riesling from Australia.

Salmon and Swordfish:  Because of it weightier texture we can go with either white or red here. Pinot Noir is the perfect match, and an excellent choice would be Elephant Hill Pinot Noir from Central Otago, New Zealand – the southernmost wine region in the world.

Tuna:  Again – whites or reds will both pair well. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Merlot.

Sushi and Sashimi:  Dry Riesling or sparkling brut.

Caviar:  What could be better with caviar than a sparkling brut? The Graham Beck Sparkling N/V Brut (53% Chardonnay/47% Pinot Noir) from South Africa is an excellent choice.

So by all means try some of these pairings with your summer fare. You’ll find that a well-matched food and wine pairing is synergistic – the wine improving the flavors of the food and the food intensifying the qualities of the wine. And the best part is it doesn’t have to be expensive – just pair simple honest wine with simple honest food. Happy summer!

Bill with oysters and bubbles in South Africa

Bill Stobbs, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills