White wine still best for fish, but which one?

"White with fish" isn't your only option when pairing wine with seafood, but it is generally the best.

This most-famous wine and food guideline is based on hard science as well as pliable personal taste.

All wine contains a unique cocktail of acids that aid in vine metabolism, grape development and wine maturation, sometimes ending with acetic acid - the acid of vinegar, vinaigre in French, or "sour wine."

In white wine these acids contribute tartness, cleanse the palate and brighten flavors, like the lemon wedge ubiquitously served with seafood.

Red wine contains the additional element of tannin. Astringent and bitter, tannin dries the palate unless paired with fat. For balance we pair cream with coffee, red meat with red wine. So, unless you enjoy the pleasure-pain of a tannin-seared palate, stick to the lemony-refreshment of white wine with seafood.

But which white?

To decide, look for common denominators of flavor and heft between wine and seafood. With seafood prepared with butter or creamy sauce (such as lobster or crab Louis salad), serve a "buttery" New World Chardonnay.

For a lighter touch, complement the sweetness of lobster, crab and scallops with light, sweeter wine, such as Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Sweeter wine also cools the singe of spicy seafood (Thai spiced shrimp).

With olive oil or herbed preparations (moules Mariniere, salmon with herb sauce) serve the herbal flavors of Sauvignon Blanc from the U.S., Chile, New Zealand and France or Verdejo from Spain.

Fried seafood needs the refreshment of high acid wine, like northern Italian Pinot Grigio, German Riesling or the "scrubbing bubbles" of sparkling wine. Grilled seafood is enriched by oaky characteristics often found in New World whites.

Rich seafood, like paella, can be amplified by dry rose, with the finest examples grown in Spain. And if you must drink red, choose the richest seafood (grilled salmon, paella) and a silky red, such as Pinot Noir or Spanish Rioja Crianza.

• Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator Mary Ross writes Good Wine. Write her at food@dailyherald.com.

Ross' choice

Picpoul de Pinet

2008

Coteaux du Languedoc, France

La Cave "Les Costieres de Pomerol" HB

• Suggested retail and availability: About $10.99 at wine and liquor shops (distributed by Fine Vines LLC, Melrose Park)

Palates accustomed to New World more-is-more flavor will find this less-is-more wine elusive and complex in simple refreshment. Exciting in its easygoing balance of mineral and citrus flavors, a delicate frame supports mouth-filling texture. Grown within sight of the sea, it's no wonder the wine is delicious with fish - especially oysters, mussels and lighter shellfish - and olives which abound in the region, bridging the cuisines of France, Italy and Spain.