What wine goes with tuna?
Pinot Noir
Grappi pairing score: how well the match works, on a 100-point scale. Grappi's own assessment.
The best wines for tuna
Pinot Noir
Light red
Low tannin and bright berry fruit suit tuna's meaty flesh, and it is the one red that reliably flatters seared, rare tuna without smothering it.
Rose
Rose
A dry, pale rose carries the fruit of a red and the chill of a white, which bridges tuna's firm texture and lean taste, ideal for grilled tuna or a nicoise salad.
Albarino
White (unoaked)
This high-acid, slightly saline Spanish white refreshes lighter tuna such as tartare, crudo or a tuna sandwich without adding weight.
Why it works
Tuna is the meatiest fish, with firm, almost steak-like flesh, so it can take a light red where a delicate white fish cannot. Most tuna is lean rather than oily like salmon, so a big or tannic red smothers it: keep the red light, low in tannin and served cool. Searing adds a smoky, charred crust that a fruit-forward Pinot Noir or a dry rose handles well, while raw, canned or salad tuna calls for a crisp white or a chilled rose instead.
Grappi scores every pairing out of 100 against a reference of 185,000 wines. Tuna with Pinot Noir rates 91.
Serving tips
- Chill a light red for tuna a little harder than for red meat, to about 13-15C, so its fruit stays bright against the lean flesh.
- With a soy, teriyaki or sesame glaze, switch to an off-dry Riesling: a touch of sweetness balances the salt and umami.
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