When pairing lobster with wine, most do not pair well with red wine. The saltiness of seafood brings out the bitterness of reds, also the iodine in lobster doesn’t react well with the tannins in red wine. Lobster is delicate and to better appreciate its flavors, pair it with a white wine! A white that has more vegetable and mineral notes and less fruity ones. Generally it is best to match bigger wines with richer dishes. For, the way a lobster is prepared will determine the choice of wine.
Fresh Seafood, especially anything spicy, goes best with white wines. The exception being, light reds or blush wines like Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sangrio Vese, Grenache and Rose. These light red wines are fine with Spaghetti with clam sauce, octopus, swordfish and tuna steaks, and salmon. Spicy seafood compliments full white wines with sweetness like Marsanne, Rousanne or Riesling.
Pair these wines with your lobster to start:
- A Chablis’ unoaked and flint notes pair extremely well with lobster in many preparations.
Req: Chablis 2007, Première Cuvée Les Pargues, Domaine Servin
- A Chardonnay’s vanilla notes pair well with lobster as vanilla is a natural compliment to lobster and a classic in french cooking.
Req:Chardonnay 2004, Alamos Ridge Argentine
- An Albarino turns out to be an unconventional but amazing pairing for lobster and any seafood in general. This is not surprising considering the fishing culture in the region where this wine is produced.
Req: Albarino 2004, Pazo de Senorans
Here more wines that go great with a lobster dinner. Dry crisp white wines, as Vinho Verde from Portugal, or Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio from France go well with lobster and all lean white fish, raw clams and oysters. Full white wines as Italian Vermentino, Greek Assyrtiko, Chardonnay, Fume Blanc, Viognier and Pinot Gris pair well with lobster, crabs and oysters. Lobster, scallops and all shellfish taste delicious with Albarino and Verdelho (not to be confused with the red wine verdelho tinto) wines grown both domestic in California and in Spain and Portugal.
In addition to the above wines that go well with delicious seafood dishes, the following list also has excellent matches:Alsace’s Riesling, a light yellow green wine, best served young and has a fruity taste. Bordeaux Graves white, grown in France in soil rich with gravel, clay and sand, and is fruity and dry. Burgundy’s Chablis from the Chardonnay grape, grown in limestone rich soil with fossils and oysters; golden in color and has a nose smell of green apple and lemon and a mouth aroma of vanilla, lemon and linden.
Sparkling wines are best with all fried seafood. A bubbling Toso Brut from Argentina will cut through weighty foods like tempura and beer battered fish. Light and refreshing, it offers aromas of lemon and apple. Shrimp dishes, whether steamed, grilled, sautéed or in a cocktail go very nicely with a Spanish dry Fino Sherry.