My original Wine Match Impression: Maple glazed salmon with spices and pineapple salsa — tricky wine match but I would go with a Viognier which has the aromatics and tropical flavours and richness of palate to stand up to the rich oily salmon and sweet spicy fruit.

Now Tested: I tried this recipe and wine match last night and it worked pretty well. I matched it with Alpha Domus “The Wingwalker” Viognier 2010 (Hawkes Bay) which has the ripe stone fruit, citrus, and mineral flavours and has full luscious palate and with spice and complexity from the barrel fermentation. The pineapple salsa was a bit too sweet for the wine though on its own. I served the salmon with couscous with lemon zest and coriander.

The Salmon Recipe:  4 out of 5 – great flavour balance and texture

The Wine:   4 out of 5 – one of my favourite New Zealand Viognier’s

The Matching Verdict:   4 out of 5 – not perfect but it did match the salmon very well