In trendy wine bars from New York to San Francisco, conservas currently enjoy red-hot popularity. These colorfully packaged tins of conserved fish and other seafood offer tantalizing, savory bites ready to share and pair with flavorful, zesty wines.
Meanwhile at home, enjoying several cans of conservas with wines can be a lot of fun, too. Each tin typically offers about four ounces of fish and sauce. When served with baguette slices, crackers, green salad, and wine, you can enjoy a convenient and delicious mid-week meal after a grueling day of work.
History of Conservas
These humble tins of fish are actually nothing new. They have long served as an inexpensive, convenient source of protein for European blue-collar workers.
Those who immigrated to the United States from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France carried the traditions with them. My late father, Fred, who was born in America as the son of southern Italian immigrants, loved opening cans of sardines packed in olive oil and then eating the fleshy, silver-skinned fish on saltine crackers. Many immigrants even worked canning fish as depicted in the novels “Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck and “The Road to Los Angeles” by John Fante.
Veteran fishmonger Henry Dewey (pictured below) of the Penn Avenue Fish Company in Pittsburgh Strip District specializes in freshly cut fish. But he also has an enduring soft spot for tinned fish.
“I grew up with tinned fish. I still eat them all the time,” Dewey says. “The problem is that they go so quickly. Over the holidays, we could not keep the cans in stock with so many people using them for the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Boneless and skinless tinned fish are the most popular.”
After the holidays the crowds have departed and shopping for conservas becomes a more enjoyable and relaxed experience.The Penn Avenue Fish Company and retailers such as Wholes Foods and many others offer good selections.
The Key to High Quality Conservas
Just as the quality of the grapes determines the quality of a wine, the quality and freshness of the fish provide the key to high quality conservas. Within a day or two of being caught by anglers in the wild, the fish should be cleaned and then either steamed or grilled before being canned and preserved with either a sauce or olive oil.
The conservas open easily by simply pulling back the key on the tin can. If you’re curious, try the following conservas and wine parings. Try the following with crisp, tasty wines:
Classic Sardine Conservas
Penn Avenue Fish Company offers Santo Amaro European Sardines, lightly smoked and hand packed in Portugal in olive oil ($8.99). These ultra-high-quality fish are caught in Portugal’s cold coastal waters by individual anglers instead of large industrial fishing operations. The idea is to protect the ocean and the catch for future generations by not overfishing. At the same time, Santo Amaro preserves artisanal processing and packing methods performed by hand in Portugal.
And the fish is delicious. It tastes of the sea without being overly fishy. The texture is silky and unctuous, and the flavors are pure and scrumptious. As conserva fish age in the tin, the flavors and texture actually improve as the fish absorbs the olive oil and sauce.
Whole Foods Markets also offers premium sardines with Bela Sardines in extra virgin olive oil with lemon and light smoke flavors ($4.39). As with Santo Amaro, Bela offers only Sardina pilchardus, certified European sardines. In Bela’s case, the fish are caught in chilly waters off the coast of Cornwall. Processing again occurs by hand in Portugal. As with Santo Amaro, only full filets are used — no heads, tails, or broken pieces and no tiny bones. The texture and flavors are excellent.
Pair both delicious conservas with the Borges “Gatão” Vinho Verde, Portugal ($8.99 average national price). This so-called “green wine” from northeastern Portugal has a pale-yellow color offering aromas of lemons, white flowers and light smokiness. On the palate, the wine’s pleasant, light, spritzy texture leads to delicious citrus and peach flavors. The finish is fruity, yet dry and, with only 9% alcohol by volume, this is an easy drinking bottle.
Spanish Octopus Conservas
Spain is another source for terrific conservas. Years ago, when visiting vineyards in Galicia in northeastern Spain, I had the opportunity to visit the famous Vigo fish market, Europe’s largest fresh fish market. Early each morning, frenetic activity erupts in the market auctions as bidders vie for the best fish of the day’s catch. Freshly caught octopus features prominent in the bidders’ competitions.
To experience a small taste of this delicacy, try the Donostia Foods, Octopus in Olive Oil ($14.99 at Chantal’s Cheese Shop). The octopus has a firm, yet tender texture (pictured below). The salty, savory flavors are delicious.
The Bela Mackerel in Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($3.99 at East End Food Co-op in North Point Breeze) offers a taste of another popular fish at the fresh markets. Mackerel has a more delicate flavor than the typical tinned tuna.
Pair these tins with the delicious 2022 Martín Códax, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain ($17.69, PLCB no. 6170). Albariño grapes flourish on the rocky, windswept yet verdant hills bordering on Galicia’s chilly ocean coasts in northeastern Spain. The fruit ferments in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness. Aging on the fine lees (expired yeast cells) gives the wine enticing creamy notes. On the nose, aromas of citrus and apples open in the glass to fruity flavors of peaches and grapefruit. Terrific acidity adds freshness. The wine finishes dry, yet fruity. Delicious.
Canned Tuna and Mussel Conservas
Two other consumer favorites, tuna and mussels, also come in convenient Spanish conservas. Try, for example, the Ortiz El Velero White Tuna in Olive Oil ($7.99 at Whole Foods) and the Patagonia Provisions, Lemon Herb Mussels in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Broth ($7.69 at Whole Foods).
It is hard to imagine tuna more delicious than the tasty, flaky, yet firm tuna from the Ortiz tin. Meanwhile, Patagonia Provisions’ tender mussels fit perfectly on toothpicks to be served as tapas, the ubiquitous little bites found in the wine bars of Logroño in La Rioja, Spain.
Pair them with the 2022 Vivanco, Rioja Blanco, Spain ($12.99, PLCB no. 4970). The wine comes from three grapes —viura, a grape widely planted in Spain, and tempranillo blanco and maturana blanca, two grapes grown exclusively in Rioja in northwestern Spain. The wine offers aromas of lemons, oranges and light smokiness. On the palate, rich flavors of apples, grapefruit and peaches balance with zesty acidity carrying through the rich, dry finish. Outstanding wine.
Bretagne Sardines and Muscadet Dry White Wine
Fishermen in Bretagne on the coast in northwestern France also offer delicious conservas. Try either the Jacques Gonidec Sardines à l’Huile d’Olive et au Citron Bio (sardines in organic extra virgin olive oil with organic lemon) ($10.99 at Chantal’s Cheese Shop) or Jacques Gonidec Sardines aux Tomates Séchées et à l’Huile d’Olive Bio (sardines in organic extra virgin olive oil with organic dried tomatoes) ($10.99 at Chantal’s Cheese Shop). Each can offers plump, elegantly packed fish filets ready for enjoyment.
Pair them with the 2022 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, France ($18.99, PLCB no. 21485). The domaine uses Melon de Bourgogne grapes cultivated organically via only by hand and natural applications. The vineyards unfurl on granite-rich soils near the mouth of the Loire River. Brisk Atlantic winds and cool temperatures preserve fresh acidity while the stony soils give the fruit mouthwatering mineral traits.
The wine ages on the lees for added complexity. The straw color offers ripe-grapefruit and white-peach aromas with light yeasty notes. Crisp citrus and pear flavors balance with zesty acidity and subtle creaminess through the dry, lingering finish. Refreshing and tasty.
Sicilian Anchovies and Crisp Northern Italian White Wine
Finally from Sicily in Italy, try the Agostino Recca, Fillets of Anchovies ($4.99 for 1.76 ounces at Labriola’s Italian Market in Aspinwall). These intensely flavored and salty fillets may be served best as accent flavors for pasta sauces, pizza toppings and salads.
Pair them with the superb 2019 Foradori, Fontanasanta, Manzoni Bianco, Vigneti Delle Dolomiti, Italy ($44 at Apteka Bottle Shop online and in Garfield). Winegrower Elisabetta Foradori cultivates the rarely planted Manzoni Bianco grapes in clay and limestone soils on a hill overlooking the famed city of Trento in northeastern, Italy. The grape is a hybrid of Pinot Bianco and Riesling, and, with Foradori’s meticulous work in the vineyard, the resulting fruit is outstanding.
Fermentation takes place on the grape skins in cement tanks, followed by seven months of aging in acacia casks. The wine’s deep golden color offers aromas of ripe apricots, peaches, and citrus. On the palate, rich complex flavors of ripe citrus mix with flavors of ultra-ripe apples and honeydew melons. Bright acidity adds zest and freshness. A touch of creaminess balances the dry, fruity finish. Just a marvelous wine.
Cheers!