Abruzzo Pecorino and Fish Monday Perfection
Sometimes the Best Pairings Don’t Need Explaining Monday in our house means fish night, and this week I opened a bottle of Pecorino Superiore from Abruzzo to go alongside hake, Jersey Royals, mushy peas and sweetcorn. Nothing fancy, just good ingredients and a family meal. Before food, the wine was showing beautifully. On the nose…
Sometimes the Best Pairings Don’t Need Explaining
Monday in our house means fish night, and this week I opened a bottle of Pecorino Superiore from Abruzzo to go alongside hake, Jersey Royals, mushy peas and sweetcorn. Nothing fancy, just good ingredients and a family meal.
Before food, the wine was showing beautifully. On the nose I was getting plenty of stone fruit with a hint of lime and a lovely mineral edge. I was expecting lots of peach and apricot in the glass, but the wine had other ideas.
Elderflower and Lime Steal the Show
In the glass, this wasn’t the rich, peach-driven style of Pecorino I had imagined. Instead, it was wonderfully fresh. Citrus notes took centre stage, with a lovely combination of lime and a secret little elderflower note sitting quietly in the background. There was still that mineral character too, giving the wine plenty of freshness and energy.
It was one of those wines that immediately makes you think about food.
A Little Bit of Instinct in the Kitchen
The hake was finished in the pan with butter, fresh lemon juice and a splash of the very same Pecorino. I wasn’t trying to be clever, it just felt right.
That little touch tied everything together beautifully. The butter added richness, the lemon lifted the fish and the wine brought everything into harmony.
When Wine and Food Become One
Once food hit the table, I stopped trying to pull out tasting notes because everything just worked. Nothing was shouting for attention. The wine wasn’t dominating the dish and the food wasn’t masking the wine. They simply became one experience.
Sometimes you get pairings that create fireworks, where flavours leap out at you from every direction. This wasn’t one of those.
This was better.
The citrus and freshness of the wine lifted the hake and buttery Jersey Royals, while the sweeter elements from the mushy peas and sweetcorn found their place effortlessly. Every bite and every sip seemed to belong together.
Final Thoughts
This bottle reminded me that not every successful pairing needs to be dramatic. Sometimes the greatest compliment you can give a wine is that it quietly makes everything around it taste better.
A simple Monday family dinner, a splash of wine in the pan and a glass alongside the plate.
That’s what wine is all about.
Through the Terroir Verdict
Pecorino Superiore 2025
Region: Abruzzo, Italy
Grape: Pecorino
Price: £8.50
Tasting Notes
On the Nose: Stone fruit with a hint of lime and a lovely mineral edge.
On the Palate: More citrus driven than expected. Fresh and vibrant with lime leading the way, accompanied by a subtle elderflower note sitting quietly in the background.
Finish: Clean, refreshing and quietly saline, leaving you reaching for another sip.
Verdict
This wasn’t the rich, peachy style of Pecorino I expected. Instead, it delivered freshness, citrus and a lovely floral lift. Paired with hake, Jersey Royals, mushy peas and sweetcorn, finished in the pan with butter, lemon and a splash of the wine itself, everything simply harmonised.
Not every pairing needs fireworks. Sometimes the greatest compliment you can pay a wine is that it makes dinner taste even better.
Score: 89/100
Where to buy:
Bought from Morrisons