Fish pie

Fish pie

Assuming white fish, smoked haddock and prawns in a creamy sauce, topped with mashed potato and baked.

Fish pie is creamy, gently smoky and mild, so the wine needs a round texture to match the sauce and enough acidity to stop it feeling heavy. New oak turns metallic against fish and fights the smoked haddock, and tannic reds do the same.

Pairs Perfectly. Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France. Chardonnay with lemon, apple and a soft, creamy texture and little or no oak, round enough for the sauce and fresh enough to lift it. It is priced for any night of the week.

Pairs Well. Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy. Made from Garganega, with almond, pear and gentle acidity, a quiet white that suits creamy fish.

Pairs Well. English sparkling wine, blanc de blancs, Sussex, England. Crisp Chardonnay bubbles with lemon and a toasty edge, which scrub the cream and suit a British classic.

Worth Seeking Out

Encruzado from the Dão, Portugal. Textured and savoury with citrus and a light nutty note, a white with the body for a baked fish dish.

Avoid

Heavily oaked whites and tannic reds. Oak and tannin turn metallic against fish, and oak clashes with smoke.

Failing That

A Chablis, Burgundy.

If All Else Fails

Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough.

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