Wine for Stonefish Roe: 5 good suggestions on what to drink

About the Stonechat – a harbinger of spring

One of the highlights of winter is the rockfish roe or “Caviar of the North” as it is often called. The smell of the sea and the sensation of the small, pearly, lightly salted eggs that almost pop on your tongue when you eat them make them something very special. And besides the fact that the roe tastes amazing, the fine and delicate color makes it particularly decorative on e.g. blinis or salads.

Stonefish roe comes from female stonefish, which typically lay up to 200,000 eggs. When the first stonefish are caught off the coast, it is always a welcome sign of spring. At the end of January - beginning of February, the fish leaves its hiding place and swims into Danish waters to spawn. And here the Danish fishermen are ready to catch it before it has laid its eggs.

The season for the fine pink eggs typically runs from the end of January until the end of April.

Gastronomy and nutrition

Stonefish roe is typically served on blinis or freshly baked rye bread, topped with a thick sourdough starter and dill. Alternatively, the classic can be served on a slice of sourdough bread with avocado or served on spinach waffles. It is both decorative and tastes heavenly. For lunch, it can be served on a rye bread sandwich with new potatoes and dill mayo. Also try sprinkling some stonefish roe and some sourdough starter and red onion on your potato pizza the next time you have pizza.

Did you know that rockfish roe is a "super food" with a high content of healthy and important omega-3 fatty acids - on par with fatty fish like mackerel. In addition, rockfish roe is rich in selenium, iodine and potassium.

Choosing wine for stonefish roe

No matter how you prefer your rockfish roe, here are a few good rules of thumb for your wine selection:

Choose white or rosé, preferably with bubbles: Red wine has tannins that dry out the mouth and take the focus away from the delicate flavor and structure of the roe.

Choose a dry wine: There is no particular sweetness in either the rockfish roe or the accompaniments. If the wine has any noticeable sweetness, it will easily appear unbalanced.

Choose a lean wine : Stonefish roe is delicate and fresh, so we don't want a wine with too much fat - typically achieved through barrel aging - as this can make the wine appear heavy and out of sync with the food.

Choose a fresh wine: Stonefish roe tastes of the sea and salt and is best matched by a fresh wine without any noticeable fruit, flowers or food notes. Ideally, it should feel like standing on the beach by the North Sea and breathing in the cool, salty air.

Bubbles:

If you are into bubbles, we recommend cava. Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine, created using traditional methods and made primarily from local grape varieties such as Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo. Cava presents a complex aroma and refreshing acidity, making it an ideal choice, as well as being priced well below champagne.

When rockfish roe and Cava are combined, a unique taste experience is created. The slightly salty nuances of the rockfish roe and the light acidity of the creme fraiche are elegantly complemented by the bubbles and refreshing acidity of the cava, just as the carbonation cleanses the palate after each mouthful.

For example, try a Miquel Pons Reserva Brut Nature

Knastør organic straw yellow cava with golden hues. On the nose ripe white fruit, brioche and honey. On the palate it stands out for its softness, its creamy bubbles and its freshness. The perfect match with the delicate and delicate roe and at a really sharp price.

Or how about Can Feix's Corpinnat Brut Classic

A Premium sparkling wine with a long maturation period (7 years) under the strict rules of the "Corpinnat" label. Made from a rigorous selection and blend of grape varieties grown exclusively on the Can Feixes estate and exquisitely crafted to highlight the unique finesse, subtlety and elegance that the famous "cavas" from Can Feixes develop after many years of bottle aging. Was a regular on the wine list of the world's best restaurant "El Bulli" until it closed. An exclusive and well-balanced match with the rockfish roe, matching both the saltiness, fat and acidity of the classic serving.

Another good choice is Forns Raventós Brut Nature Rosat

Rosé cava with a light rhubarb red color made from 100% pinot noir. Discreet aromas of red fruits with roasted notes from the aging. On the palate it is extremely elegant, balanced and tasty with an acidity that gives a long finish full of nuances. Very fine, soft and persistent bubbles that go perfectly with the stonefish roe and an incredibly beautiful companion that will impress your guests.

White wine:

If you prefer white wine, obvious companions would be Austrian Grüner Veltliner, French Chablis made from the Chardonnay grape. A Chilean Chardonnay or a French Riesling from Alsace would also be excellent choices.