Enjoying Autumn Salmon with Various Wines Part 1: Orange Wine × Autumn Salmon

Hello, everyone.

[Wine, Food, and People (Wine-Shoku-Nin)] I'm Miyuki Isobe.

It's getting colder day by day, isn't it?
Along with the chilly weather, I've started choosing wines with a bit more body, such as Bordeaux reds or skin-contact white wines (orange wines).

As for what to pair with them, lately I've been eating tons of autumn salmon.
Salmon is a regular staple in the supermarket seafood section, so it's probably a familiar fish that you enjoy all year round.
Autumn salmon at this time of year is especially fun because you get sujiko (salmon roe in sac) from the females and shirako (milt) from the males. Plus, the flesh is tender, fluffy, and moderate in fat, so I buy whole male and female salmon to experiment with various dish and wine pairings.

Now, what kind of wine goes best with autumn salmon?
We often hear that white wine goes with fish, or that you should match the color of the wine to the color of the food. But does that mean it's nonsense if you don't pair salmon with white wine or rosé?
Of course, enjoying those combinations is undoubtedly wonderful.
However, for a fish that appears on the dinner table so frequently, you'd want a wider variety of wine pairings, wouldn't you?

So this time, I'd like to share an autumn salmon recipe that pairs wonderfully with trendy orange wines.
With just a small tweak, you can discover a match that makes you say, "This is it!"—so please give it a try.

Beurre blanc (butter sauce) is a classic French staple for fish dishes.
It looks just like a dish served in a restaurant, making it a perfect fit for a dinner table with wine. It's very photogenic.
That said, if you try to make authentic beurre blanc, the insane amount of butter required can be intimidating, and since we want to pair it with Koshu orange wine this time, a sauce that's overly rich and heavy would throw off the balance.

So, I modified the recipe to complement orange wine while keeping it simple enough for everyday dinners.

Serves 2
Autumn salmon fillets: 2
Salt and pepper: to taste
Flour: as needed
Salted butter (if using unsalted, just add salt yourself): 20 g
Fumet de poisson (fish stock): 1/2 packet
Water: 100 cc
Heavy cream: approx. 100 cc
Saikyo miso: 2 tsp

1. In 100 cc of water, add the butter and fumet de poisson, then heat.
2. Once the butter melts, add the heavy cream and Saikyo miso.
That's all for the sauce! How easy is that?
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Season the autumn salmon with salt and pepper, dust with flour, and pan-fry both sides in a skillet.
4. Pour the sauce onto a plate and gently place the cooked autumn salmon on top.
5. If desired, garnish with herbs like dill to make it look even more delicious.
That's it—impressive results with surprisingly few steps!

The key is to go easy on the butter and use miso instead.
This ensures the sauce doesn't turn out too heavy, creating a wonderful balance with refreshing orange wines like Koshu.
In addition, the orange wine—with its nuances of Japanese citrus aromas and sansho pepper—connects beautifully with the flavor of Japanese-style miso, creating a pairing with a wonderfully expansive impression.

It is simple and delicious, making it great for entertaining guests.
The ingredients aren't hard to find either, so it's very accessible!
Feel free to try this pairing of "Orange Wine x Autumn Salmon Beurre Blanc Style".

Here is the wine paired this time 🍷

Iwasaki Jozo (Yamanashi) / Chateau Honjo Koshu Kamoshi Antique (Orange)

Variety: Koshu
This is an orange wine.
Late-ripened Koshu grapes were meticulously harvested from estate vineyards located in Iwasaki, the birthplace of Koshu grapes.
Maceration (a technique mainly used in red winemaking, soaking skins and seeds in juice for an extended period to extract skin-derived components) was carried out in stainless steel tanks for 4 days to extract components from the skins.
Aromas of quince, Japanese citrus, cloves, and tea leaves.
Precise acidity and pleasant astringency bring three-dimensional depth to the flavor.
The rich umami flavor that gently expands on the palate has a nostalgic quality cherished across generations.

In the next article, "Enjoying Autumn Salmon with Various Wines Vol. 2," we will introduce autumn salmon recipes paired with full-bodied red wines.