Can you drink red wine with sushi?

With care. Tannic reds tend to leave a metallic finish with raw fish; if you want a red, choose a light one with soft tannins, served slightly chilled, such as a Pinot Noir, and pair it with tuna or salmon pieces.

Why does sparkling wine work so well with sushi?

Its acidity and bubbles cleanse the palate between pieces, contrast with the saltiness of the soy sauce and suit the vinegared rice without masking the fish.

Which wine goes with salmon sashimi?

Salmon is oilier than white fish: it usually works well with a sparkling rosé, a dry rosé or a white with some body and no marked oak, such as a Chablis or a Godello.

🍜Asian and fusion cuisine

Sushi and sashimi

Raw fish, vinegared rice, soy sauce and wasabi: sushi and sashimi call for fresh wines with good acidity and no pronounced tannins, wines that go alongside the fish without masking it.

Sushi and sashimi are delicate in flavour but not that simple for wine: raw fish, rice seasoned with vinegar, the salt and umami of soy sauce and the heat of wasabi all come into play at once. Fresh, saline whites, brut sparkling wines and dry fortified wines such as manzanilla or fino are usually the safest bets. Tannic reds and heavily oaked whites, on the other hand, tend to clash with raw fish. The key is to match the wine to the piece: sea bass sashimi does not call for the same wine as a roll with a sweet sauce.

Key principles

Soy sauce brings salt and umami: it calls for wines with good acidity and no pronounced tannins.

Tannin and heavy oak tend to clash with raw fish and can leave a metallic finish.

White fish calls for light, saline whites; salmon, fatty tuna or sweet sauces can take more body, a rosé or a touch of sweetness.

The acidity and bubbles of a brut sparkling wine cleanse the palate between pieces and sit well with the vinegared rice.

Too much wasabi overwhelms any delicate wine: use it sparingly if you want to appreciate the pairing.

Recommended combinations

White-fish sashimi and nigiri (sea bass, sea bream)

Rías Baixas AlbariñoMuscadet sur lieManzanilla from Sanlúcar

White fish is very delicate: a light, saline white or a well-chilled manzanilla goes alongside it without masking it and refreshes the palate against the soy sauce.

Salmon or tuna sashimi and nigiri

Rosé Champagne (Brut)Dry Provence roséChablis

More fat and more flavour can take a little more structure: acidity and bubbles cut through the fat, and a dry rosé brings fruit without tannin.

Maki and uramaki rolls with mayonnaise, avocado or sweet sauces (eel, teriyaki)

Off-dry Mosel Riesling KabinettKamptal Grüner VeltlinerCava Brut

Mayonnaise and avocado call for a little more body, and sweet sauces for a wine with a touch of residual sugar to balance them.

Recommended styles

Espumoso brutBlanco joven fresco y salinoFino / Manzanilla

Recommended regions

Champagne Rías Baixas Chablis Mosel Manzanilla de Sanlúcar

Frequent grapes

Albariño Riesling Chardonnay Palomino Grüner Veltliner

Practical hospitality use

How to turn Sushi and sashimi into a useful recommendation

A quick operating read to turn Sushi and sashimi into buying, recommendation and library navigation.

Guest reading

Sushi and sashimi should reduce uncertainty: guests want to know which wine will work and why.

Floor cue

Explain Sushi and sashimi through intensity, fat, sauce and temperature. That read prevents automatic recommendations.

List role

Use it as a bridge between dishes, styles, grapes and regions to increase exploration and spend.

Define one safe recommendation and one premium alternative so Sushi and sashimi can work on the floor.

Request demo

Common mistakes

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Serving a tannic or heavily oaked red with raw fish.

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Choosing whites with marked oak or high alcohol, which mask the flavour of the fish.

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Recommending the same wine for white-fish sashimi and for a roll with a sweet sauce or mayonnaise.

Winerim reading

How to use this pairing in hospitality

How to use it on the list

Sushi is usually ordered to share and in several rounds, so wines by the glass work well: a brut sparkling wine and two or three fresh whites cover most tables. It helps to show on the wine list which wines suit white fish and which can stand up to salmon, tuna or sweet sauces.

Floor language

“With the sushi I'd suggest this Albariño: it has the acidity and salinity that raw fish and soy sauce call for, and it doesn't mask the flavour of the fish.”

Safe options

A Champagne or a Cava Brut. A Rías Baixas Albariño. A Chablis.

Differentiating options

A well-chilled manzanilla or fino. An off-dry Mosel Riesling Kabinett for rolls with sweet sauces. A Grüner Veltliner.

Restaurant mistakes

Offering no sparkling wine or fresh white by the glass in a sushi concept, or limiting the recommendation to beer and sake without suggesting wine.

When the classic loses force

When the dish comes with sweet sauces or spicy mayonnaise, a very dry, light white can fall short: a Riesling with some sweetness or a fuller-bodied sparkling wine works better. With fatty tuna or salmon, a dry rosé or a light, slightly chilled Pinot Noir can outperform the classic white.