Just because the base is rice doesn’t mean the wine pairing is the same for all rice dishes. A paella—which I discussed how to pair in a recent post—doesn’t have the same pairing as seafood rice dishes, since their flavors are diametrically opposed, though I’ll go ahead and say that champagne pairs wonderfully with both—but then again, what doesn’t champagne pair well with?
Arroz del señoret, arroz a la marinera, black rice, rice with lobster, crab rice… These are just the most typical fish-based rice dishes, but each has its own distinct characteristics. Naturally, some wines pair better with certain rice dishes than others. In general, white wines pair very well with fish-based rice dishes, but we can refine this a bit further. Let’s get to it. Here’s my suggestion, based on classic seafood rice dishes:
Arroz del Señoret: A long-aged cava, such as Llopart or Mestres; if I had to choose, a Clos Damiana would be perfect. Stepping it up a notch: an oxidative champagne, any from Jacques Lassaigne, would be a great match.
Arroz a la marinera: An Albariño seems too sharp to me, so I’d opt for a Godello, preferably from Valdeorras. The most affordable option would be Louros, but the entire range of Rafael Palacios’ wines would pair perfectly.
Black rice: Given the color, we could easily pair it with a Garnacha from the Sierra de Gredos; the wines from Rumbo al Norte would be perfect, but personally, I’d go for a red-grape champagne—a Pinot Meunier would be a wonderful match.
Lobster rice: A robust rice dish needs a full-bodied wine, so a Viura from Allende would be a great option, as would a Coste de Danjou Banessy (southern France).
Crab rice: The color theory is always a safe bet, so a Bandol rosé would pair phenomenally with the red rice dishes that crab offers us.
I suspect some of you are wondering, “How do I pair a surf-and-turf rice dish?” Well, I have a somewhat radical stance on this, as it doesn’t fit into my criteria for rice dishes, so I refuse to suggest any pairing.
As you can see, you have quite a few options; now all that’s left is for you to take charge of preparing the rice. Cheers!