Pairing wine with grilled fish sounds like it should be simple, and largely it is. The complications arrive when people start overthinking it. You want something with enough freshness to cut through the char and fat, enough body to stand next to the fish rather than getting lost beside it, and enough character to be interesting in its own right. The idea that only light, neutral whites will do is a myth - grilled fish, especially oily fish like mackerel or sea bass, can handle wine with some real personality.
Here are three bottles under £40 that prove the point.
Domaine de la Pepiere, Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie 2022 - around £18
Muscadet has a reputation problem it does not entirely deserve. At the cheap end the wine can be watery and forgettable, which has coloured how people think about the whole appellation. But Muscadet from a producer like Marc Ollivier at Pepiere is a different object entirely. Extended lees ageing gives it texture and depth, and there is a saline mineral quality that is essentially the taste of the Loire meeting the Atlantic. With a whole sea bass or a piece of grilled bream, this is as close to a perfect match as you will find at the price. Pour it cold, around 8 degrees.
Domaine Sigalas, Assyrtiko, Santorini 2023 - around £32
Assyrtiko from Santorini is one of the world's great food wines and remains undervalued by almost everyone outside Greece. Sigalas is one of the best producers on the island, farming old-vine Assyrtiko on volcanic soils that give the wine extraordinary minerality and a piercing freshness that survives even the heat of the Aegean growing season. The result is crisp, citrus-driven, and flinty - a wine that cuts through grilled octopus or oily mackerel as cleanly as anything you can find at twice the price. If you have not tried Greek white wine with seafood, this is the bottle that will convert you.
Domaine Weinbach, Riesling Cuvee Theo, Alsace 2021 - around £38
Riesling with fish is one of those combinations that works so well it almost feels unfair. Weinbach's Cuvee Theo is a dry Alsatian Riesling with real authority - stone fruit, petrol (in the best sense), and a long, mouthwatering finish. It has enough weight and structure to handle grilled salmon or trout with buttery herbs, and enough acidity to refresh you between bites. Serve it at around 10 degrees, not too cold - it needs a little warmth to show everything it has.
A note on red wine
If you want to pour something red, you are not wrong to try. A light, cool Pinot Noir from the Loire - a Sancerre Rouge, for instance, or an Anjou Rouge - can work well with salmon or tuna, especially if the fish has a crust or marinade with some weight to it. The rule about white wine with fish is a useful starting point, not a law. Drink what you like, serve it at a sensible temperature, and the fish will not complain.