Richard Esling, On the Grapevine: Matching white wines to fish: a balanced approach

The first consideration is the texture and weight of the dish. A simply grilled fillet of sea bass, its flesh moist and barely adorned with olive oil and lemon, calls for a wine of similar poise -- something crisp, mineral, and refreshing. A dry white with lively acidity and good depth of flavour will echo the brightness of the dish while cleansing the palate, allowing each bite to taste as vivid as the first. A good match would be La Val Albariño 2024 from the Rias Baixas region of north-west Spain. Elegant citrus and stone fruit flavours £18 from Waitrose (on offer at £13 but be quick!) Moving to richer preparations -- lobster thermidor, scallops seared to a caramelised sweetness, or turbot napped in a creamy sauce -- and the equation shifts. Here, a fuller-bodied white, perhaps with a gentle touch of oak, provides the necessary breadth and texture. The wine should not overwhelm, but it must possess enough structure to stand alongside the dish's depth and intensity. A fabulous wine from South African expert winemakers Journeys End is Ad Infinitum 2022, a Sauvignon/Semillon blend from Stellenbosch. Made in very limited quantities and only made in exceptional years, this is a stunning white wine. Fermented and matured in large French oak barrels, Journeys End Ad Infinitum echoes the style of top Bordeaux white wines, with added gentle tropical fruit flavours, depth and complexity and a deliciously long finish. £35 from the London specialist Hedonism - worth seeking out! Shellfish introduces a further dimension. Oysters, with their briny, idiosyncratic character demand a wine that speaks the same language - clean-cut and precise. An unoaked chardonnay with medium body can pair well, with its understated minerality and gentle power. Louis Jadot Chablis 2024 Cellier du Valvan has that quiet precision, with elegance, fresh acidity and stone-fruit flavours. £25 from Ocado and specialist merchants. Meanwhile, prawns or crab, subtly sweet and delicate, pair beautifully with aromatic whites that offer a hint of fruit without tipping into excess. Expertly made New Zealand Sauvignon fits the bill admirably, paired with garlic and chilli prawns or a Selsey Crab salad. Villa Maria Reserve Clifford Bay 2024 is a wine of intensity and structure, from the cooler Awatere Valley in the Marlborough region. Intense aromas of lemongrass, fresh herbs and new-mown hay followed by a generous palate with lime, gooseberries and a mineral finish. A cut above the cellar selection wine with greater vibrancy and intensity. £15.75 from Sainsburys. Sauce, of course, is often the decisive factor. A squeeze of citrus will lift a wine's acidity into sharper focus, while herbs and spices need careful pairing. The guiding principle remains balance: the wine should refresh and enhance, never compete. A lighter wine for a lighter dish. Simple fillets of plaice dressed with lemon can afford a match for Albastrele Sauvignon Blanc Cravet Hill 2024 from the ancient wine producing country of Moldova. From the country's first appellation, fresh, crisp and vibrant with a lighter touch. £11.99 from Laithwaites, online champions of lesser known wines and wine regions. Ultimately, pairing white wine with fish and seafood is less about rigid rules and more about sensitivity -- to flavour, to texture, and to the interplay between glass and plate.