A lot of acidity (from orange juice and mustard) goes into the marinade for this fish dish, but not a lot sticks around in the final preparation. That’s a blessing because it allows for a wider range of both white and red wines to accompany it. Salmon is one of the oilier fish, which makes some light-bodied red wines sing with it. Suggestions come along for a dry rose, a light red and a high-acid white. Stay away from big-bodied red wines on this one. Likewise, avoid overly oaky whites.
Grouper and salmon kebabs
Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard until smooth. Whisk in juice of 2 large oranges, 1/4 cup minced parsley, 3 cloves garlic, minced and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour into a zip-close bag; add 1 pound grouper and 1 pound salmon, each skinned and cut into 2-inch chunks, and 12 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed. Seal; refrigerate, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare grill for medium heat. Remove fish and mushrooms from bag, discarding marinade. On six skewers, thread fish and mushrooms, alternating with pieces of green onions and red onion. Grill until fish is cooked, turning frequently, about 8 minutes. Makes six servings.
Recipe by Mark Graham.
The wines
2014 Kramer Vineyards Rose of Pinot Gris, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon: Note, not pinot noir, pinot gris, done in what the Italians call the “ramato” style; pale pink, super dry, with a great snappy, zesty finish. $24
2011 Bodegas Franco Espanolas Rioja Crianza Bordon, Rioja, Spain: Tempranillo with 20 percent garnacha; lithe, pretty, a fine amalgam of fruit and wood; bright fruit, crisp finish. $11
2013 Tormaresca Chardonnay, Apulia, Italy: From grapes grown a few feet from the sea, even if from far southern Italy, hence benefiting from cooling maritime breezes; terrifically zesty, with a saliva-kicking salinity. $10 to $12 .