Which wine goes with raw fish? The choice in Lucca

When people ask us which wine to drink with raw fish, the answer is not one fixed bottle. It depends on the fish, how rich the seasoning is and, above all, what you actually want to drink. At Tomkat, we do not have raw fish on the menu: we are a wine bar with a kitchen at Via Calderia 12, just steps from Piazza San Michele. But many guests arrive after a seafood dinner or are looking for a glass before deciding where to go. The question comes up often here.

The most frequent answer is Vermentino. Not because it is a convenient word to say in Tuscany, but because it can be the right wine when the dish stays clean and the fish speaks without too many embellishments. Then there are the exceptions, which are the interesting part of the evening.

Which wine for raw fish: start with the dish

Raw fish does not mean just one thing. A dish simply dressed with oil and citrus calls for a different direction from a richer, more savory raw preparation or one served with sauces. Simply saying white wine risks saying nothing at all.

If the dish is delicate and essential, with a marine note and little else, we first look to Tuscan whites. Vermentino remains a natural choice for anyone in Lucca who wants to drink locally without turning the table into a lesson. It is direct, bright and does not get in front of the fish. On our wine list, Tuscan wines are the tables’ first request, and it makes sense: you are here, not taking part in an exercise in wine geography.

If, on the other hand, the raw fish has more substance, a fatty component or pronounced salinity, a white Burgundy may be more on target. It is not the automatic choice, and it should not be. But in our cellar, Burgundy is a distinct part of our identity, alongside Champagne and Bordeaux, with major houses and small producers. There are evenings when a French white makes more sense than another Tuscan glass. We say so without hesitation.

For a seafood dish that calls for tension, purity and continuity, Champagne is often a serious answer. There is no need to reserve it for a special occasion or treat it as a theatrical gesture. It works when the fish is delicate but the dish has salt or texture, or when you want to start the evening well and then continue with our pantry selection.

Vermentino when you want to stay in Tuscany

Vermentino is the first wine we suggest to anyone looking for a Tuscan pairing with raw fish. It is a starting point, not a formula. The Tuscany we drink here is not a generic category: the selection is made bottle by bottle and changes throughout the year. We have nearly 200 Italian and French labels, updated every week by Pier Giulio.

The advantage of Vermentino in this context is simple. It sits well alongside seafood cuisine without demanding attention, while maintaining the connection to the region that many guests seek during two or three nights in Lucca. For those arriving from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany or France, it is often the first Tuscan white wine they drink attentively. For those living around Lucca, the Piana and Versilia, it may instead be the right glass for a light evening, without opening a demanding bottle.

We do not choose it out of habit. If the raw fish is highly aromatic, very spicy or particularly elaborate, we may move in another direction. A good pairing is not a regional flag to defend at all costs.

When to choose Champagne or Burgundy

Champagne and Burgundy are not international diversions put on the list for show. They are part of our cellar and of the work that led us to the Star Wine List Best Newcomer 2025 and Best Medium-Sized Wine List 2026 awards. These recognitions are useful because they tell a concrete story: here you can drink Tuscany very well, but not only Tuscany.

With raw fish, Champagne works well when you want a more incisive wine. Think of a dish with a strong saline character, a selection to share, or a dinner that will continue with caviar and cheeses. Our pantry includes caviar, Gillardeau oysters, Italian and Spanish cured meats and cheeses. This is not a menu designed to imitate a fish market. It is a wine table, where contrasts matter.

A white Burgundy can be the choice for anyone who wants more depth without moving to red wine. We suggest it when the fish has structure and when the guest is looking for a glass that remains interesting beyond the first sip. It is a less obvious choice than Vermentino and, precisely for that reason, should be made with restraint. If the dish is too delicate, it would be nothing more than noise.

And red wine with raw fish?

Usually not. But we do not treat no as a moral law. Our list is strong on Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino, Bolgheri and Barolo, with older Tuscan vintages that many guests look for as soon as they sit down. These are wines that deserve time and suitable dishes, not a forced pairing meant to prove a point.

If you have eaten raw fish and come to us to continue the evening, we can move to a red when you order something different. The slow-cooked beef roast, with chimichurri sauce and tangy beef jus, calls for a different conversation. The sweet & sour Pork Ribs change the table too. There is no need to remain faithful to the first glass of the dinner.

This is one of the advantages of stopping at a wine bar instead of deciding the entire evening before it begins. You can start with a white, continue with a Tuscan red, share Focaccia y Tomate with Campanian tomato, Tuscan oil and Maldon salt, and see where the table leads. Without a set itinerary.

Changing wines by the glass, not a ready-made answer

We have a selection of wines by the glass that changes often. For anyone wondering which wine to drink with raw fish, this matters more than a theoretical list of grape varieties. The right bottle may be available that evening by the glass and perhaps no longer be there the following month. That is why we prefer to talk with you for two minutes instead of giving you a standard answer.

Tell us what fish you ate, whether it was seasoned or simple, and whether you want to stay in Tuscany or try France. Also tell us something more useful than many tasting notes: whether you are looking for a light glass or a bottle to keep for the whole evening. From there, we choose.

For anyone who wants to go beyond a single glass, we organize guided tastings bookable from 20 euros. They are not designed to fill an afternoon or to recite descriptors. They are a practical way to understand why one evening we choose Vermentino and another time we open Champagne or Burgundy.

We are open in the evenings, Monday through Saturday, from 18:00 to 23:00. If you are in central Lucca and looking for a wine after raw fish, book through OpenTable or call +39 376 203 5395. Come with the memory of the dish, not with an answer already decided: the best wine often starts there.

Pier Giulio Bendinelli