What wine to drink with tuna

Tuna covers several species with different-colored meat: bluefin is the red one, while albacore is sold as “white.” Fresh, tuna is chopped into a tartare or grilled as a steak; canned, it goes into a quiche. Let the species and the cooking steer the wine, rather than the white-with-fish rule.

Bluefin, the Long-Distance Swimmer of the Atlantic and Mediterranean

Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) can grow past 10 feet (3 meters) and live for decades. Japan, where it ends up as sushi and sashimi, accounts for 80% of its global sales on its own. At the fish counter, it comes as steaks or thick fillets: seared fast, it stays pink in the center; hand-chopped, it becomes tartare.

Its firm meat can take a red wine, as long as the tannins stay low: too much tannin hardens the palate and buries the fish. Pinot Noir, a grape born in Burgundy, makes just that kind of red; serve it cool rather than at room temperature.

For a tartare dressed with olive oil and lime, try a rosé from Tavel. This appellation in the Gard, on the right bank of the Rhône, makes nothing but rosé, with Grenache as its only required grape; its wines have enough body for raw fish.

Albacore, the White Tuna of the Bay of Biscay

Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) lives in temperate waters in every ocean and makes some of the longest migrations of any fish. For the European market, it comes mainly from the Atlantic, where schools are caught off the French and Spanish coasts, in the Bay of Biscay, and around the Azores. In French, “albacore” means yellowfin; this fish is called germon.

Albacore takes well to steaks cooked on the grill or a griddle and finished with a squeeze of lemon. It calls for a white with real tension, whose acidity answers the lemon and keeps the plate light.

Two appellations fit the bill. Chablis, in northern Burgundy, allows only Chardonnay and makes dry whites; Sancerre, in the Central Loire, makes its whites from Sauvignon Blanc, with citrus aromas.

Packed in Water or Oil: Tuna from the Pantry

On a can, check the species. In the United States, only albacore may be labeled “white” tuna; “light” tuna can be any species, as long as the meat is pale enough. Skipjack, which biologists set apart from the true tunas, is still the most-fished tuna species in the world: 2.8 million metric tons in 2006.

In a quiche, tuna is surrounded by eggs and cream: a round, dry white made from Roussanne or Marsanne, from the Rhône or Languedoc, suits that soft texture without weighing it down.

Oil-packed tuna, being richer, needs a livelier wine than water-packed tuna, which is happy with a light white or a dry rosé.

Tuna in Other Dishes: Your Questions

What wine goes with tuna rillettes?

With tuna rillettes, a French spread of flaked tuna, pick a lively dry white or a light rosé. Often bound with cream cheese or butter, the spread is rich, and the wine’s acidity lightens it; an oaky wine would only make it heavier.

What wine goes with a pan bagnat?

With a pan bagnat, the Niçoise sandwich of tuna, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs and raw vegetables, serve a dry rosé or a lively white from southern France. Its name means “soaked bread”: the bread absorbs olive oil and tomato juice, which call for freshness rather than power.

What wine goes with marmitako, the Basque tuna stew?

With marmitako, a Basque stew of tuna, potatoes and peppers, serve an Irouléguy rosé or a txakoli, a lively white from the Spanish Basque Country. Born among Basque and Cantabrian fishermen, the dish is made with albacore, onions and tomatoes.

Where can you buy wine for tuna direct from the winemaker?

You can buy wine for tuna direct from the producer on Avenue des Vins. Each wine’s page lists the vintage and the bottle size.

See also: Wines and fish - What wine should you drink with sole? - What wine should you drink with mussels?