2025 Albariño + Saffron Fish with Red Peppers and Preserved Lemon

Our new vintage Albariño is here! Made from grapes grown at the Angiolina Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills, this wine has a beautiful pale lemon-yellow color and gives off a fresh, sea breeze-like aroma. You'll also catch hints of lemon curd and juicy stone fruits, all leading to a crisp, lemony, and slightly salty finish.

Albariño (pronounced alba-reen-yo) is a grape originally from Spain and Portugal, and it’s the perfect match for seafood. We paired this wine with Saffron Fish with Red Peppers and Preserved Lemon. (This recipe was adapted from New York Times Cooking.) We thought the preserved lemon truly elevated the wine pairing!

Ingredients

A few pinches to ½ teaspoon saffron strands

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 red bell peppers, trimmed, quartered, seeded, then sliced into 1/2-inch strips

1 large red or yellow onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and delicate stems separated and chopped

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

8 skinless salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)

1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika

½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional, but recommended!)

¼ cup pitted kalamata or green Moroccan olives, cut in half

1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, chopped (peel and flesh), and seeded

Preparation

Step 1

Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a bowl and sprinkle with the saffron strands. Use a spoon to press the saffron strands against the side of the bowl to release the flavor. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro stems, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent.

Step 3

Nestle the fish into the vegetables, sprinkle with the paprika, red-pepper flakes (if using), 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pour the prepared saffron water over everything. (You can do all of this in advance one day in advance, and refrigerate until ready to finish.)

Step 4

When ready to cook, add the olives and preserved lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, reduce it to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, basting the fish every 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves during the last few minutes of cooking.

Step 5

Taste for seasoning and serve, setting the fish on top of the vegetables.