Salmon, scampi, strawberries: The best food to pair with a rose wine

That wonderfully light and fruity rose wine calls for some equally light summer evening snacks. – File photo: AFP

It not only embodies summer like few other drinks, but it even looks like the sun is setting in your glass.

That wonderfully light and fruity rose wine calls for some equally light summer evening snacks. You can start by forgetting heavy meals and greasy food.

A couple of light canapes are generally the right choice - but what do the experts say goes best with this summer wine?

The rule of thumb: "Almost everything that also harmonises with rose wine in terms of colour," says Ernst Buescher from the German Wine Institute (DWI), immediately thinking of salmon, shrimp, roasted chicken and raspberries.

Served chilled, rose wines develop a wealth of fruity aromas. "A dry one goes well with a rillette of pickled salmon, for example," Buescher suggests. Rillette is a kind of spread.

Ours consists of 400 grams of diced salmon, two diced tomatoes, a chopped onion, 1 tablespoon each of chopped dill, chive, coarsely plucked basil and wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olives, and salt and pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together and then put the mixture, which feeds four, in the fridge for one hour. Serve with some salad leaves and toast.

A small nest of pasta goes perfectly with a dry or medium-dry rose, according to Buescher. Cook tagliatelle (400 grams) until al dente, saute diced onion in olive oil until translucent, add 100 millilitres each of chicken stock and semi-dry rose and bring to a boil. Stir in creme legere (200 grams) and let reduce slightly.

Finally, season with chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Fry 250 grams of scampi separately. Arrange four tagliatelle nests, pour sauce on top and garnish with the scampi.

When it comes to sweeter roses, the wine institute recommends the following appetizer: Arrange thin slices of 400 grams of strawberries on four plates and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Mix 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of raspberry balsamic vinegar with a little salt, sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of sweet cream.

Drizzle the mixture on top of the strawberries, add some coarsely ground pepper and some crumbled cheese (Tete de Moine) - et voila: Strawberry carpaccio.

Sommelier Romana Echensperger from Munich believes that the best dishes to go with rose wine are Mediterranean: from light tapas with lots of vegetables and olive oil to salmon with dill, falafel, tuna Tatar, calamari aioli, olives or a classic Nizza salad with small potatoes, egg, tomatoes and pieces of tuna.

"Nibbling and rose wine - a perfect match,” says Echensperger.

Over the past years, big rose brands have dominated the scene, the sommelier says. But it doesn’t always have to be brands you have seen on commercials. "Feel free to try your way through the many unknown rose wines," Echensperger recommends.

"There is a lot going on from Hungary to Greece to southern France. In Germany, many Pinot Noir roses have impressed me," the expert says. A lot of rose wines also come with such depth and complexity that can even be matched with strongly spiced dishes, she says. – dpa

Pair your wine with the best snacks. Redeem foodpanda Voucher to enjoy extra discounts