Pairing Wine with Fire-Cooked Seafood
Smoke changes everything a wine has to do. Our sommelier explains the thinking behind the pairings we pour next to charred prawns, whole fish and anything else that comes off the Josper.
Smoke is the variable nobody plans for
Classic seafood pairing logic says white wine, high acid, done. That logic breaks the moment the seafood meets charcoal, because smoke adds bitterness and weight that a delicate riesling cannot stand up to. The wine still needs acid, but it also needs texture and enough fruit weight to sit next to char rather than behind it.
This is why our list leans on Australian chardonnay with some lees work, aged semillon and textured whites like fiano. The acidity cuts through the richness of grilled shellfish, while the weight of the wine holds its own against smoke. It is the same reason our cellar tastings dedicate a pour to white wines with texture rather than just freshness.
Three pairings we pour every week
Charred king prawns with lemon myrtle meet a Margaret River chardonnay: the wine's natural citrus oils echo the native citrus, and its weight matches the prawn's sweetness. Whole grilled flathead takes an aged Hunter semillon, which is lean enough for delicate flesh but carries a waxy, honeyed texture that loves smoke.
And for guests who insist on red with seafood, we pour a chilled Yarra Valley pinot noir with the wood-roasted octopus. Served cool, the tannin softens and the savoury notes in the wine pick up the char exactly the way a grilled meat would.
The best seafood wine is not the lightest one. It is the one with enough texture to stand inside the smoke.
Head sommelier, BLACK Bar & Grill
What to ask the sommelier
Tell us what you ordered and how adventurous you feel. The list runs deep enough that there is almost always a bottle you have not heard of that does the job better than the famous one.
If you are ordering across the table, a bottle of something textured and versatile beats two glasses of the perfect pairing. Sharing works better when the wine can flex across three different dishes.
And when in doubt, order the pairing menu. Each pour is sized to the course, so nothing fights and nothing repeats.
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Let the sommelier choose
Book a tasting in the cellar room before dinner and your table arrives at the menu already knowing what to drink.