Lobster has an excellent taste just by itself, but if you pair it with wine, your dining experience will be perfect. So what is the right wine for lobster? Your choice will depend on a few factors, such as styles of cooking, sauces, or side dishes that you choose for the lobsters.
How Can Wine Complement The Flavor Of Lobster?
During the lobster season, you will definitely want to enjoy lots of fresh lobsters, and the accompanying drink is nothing more appropriate than wine. Lobster offers a mild, slightly sweet flavor and it comes with a light texture. No matter how it was cooked, combining it with the right wine will bring out the best in your dish. Lobster is well-suited to wines because of the crisp and fresh notes. And as we mentioned, the way you have your lobster cooked will determine which wine will go with it.
The Top 6 Good Wines For Lobster
The key rule when choosing the right wine for lobster is red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. Lobster’s meat is white meat, therefore, it needs a light, fresh companion which is white wine. And here are a few options for you:
1. Chardonnay
When choosing the best white wine to pair with lobster, Chardonnay is definitely the best option. This wine can be oaky and buttery, but sometimes it is crisp and fruit-forward.
Lobster dish has a light flavor, so it suits very well; especially when you have your lobster boiled or steamed with butter glaze, or be served with other side dishes.
In addition, the Burgundy has a lot of acidity and citrus notes, making it a perfect companion to lobster. Obviously, the best seafood should be paired with the most popular white wine in the world.
2. Riesling
Another white wine for lobster is Riesling which has plenty of acidities, fruits, and sweet floral notes. It suits well with the natural sweetness in lobster meat. Riesling is good for baked or broiled lobster, and lobster cooked with Asian or spicy sauces.
As you know, lobster dishes are usually served with lemon, and this wine has plenty of citrus notes, which is an ideal addition to the dishes.
Besides, Gewurztraminer should be taken into consideration with its spicy-sweet notes and hints of tropical fruit. Its acidity level is lower, but it has a ginger flavor that suits lobster. Another option for you is Pinot Gris which helps bring out the delicate flavors in this delicacy.
3. Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc has natural herbaceousness which is perfect for lobster dishes rich in herbs and other greens. The acidity and zesty citrus in this wine complement boiled or steamed lobster.
Furthermore, Chenin Blanc and Albarino are other options as they are both good wines for lobster. Although they don’t come with herbaceous notes, their lighter bodies, higher acidity, and abundant citrus flavors work well with your dish.
4. Rose
Dry Rose such as Renault, Syrah, or blended Provencal can enhance lobster’s flavor. They have enough subtlety to not overpower the lobster.
Additionally, you can opt for Rose Champagne as it works well with grilled lobster dish. If you are a fan of sparkling wines, Prosecco and Cava should be your choice.
5. Chianti
You might be a bit confused here, as the best wine for eating lobster is white wine. However, Chianti is an exceptional red wine that goes well with lobster. It’s lighter than other types of red wine, so it can’t be overpowering, especially for tomato-based lobster dishes.
Chianti is made from Sangiovese grapes which has a good combination of acidity, tannins, and herbaceous notes. Generally, as long as the red wine is low in tannins and high in acidity, it can enhance the flavor of lobster dishes.
6. Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is very light, that’s why it goes well with any seafood dishes, from lobster, crab, oysters, scallops to shellfish. Compared to the Sauvignon Blanc, it is less herbaceous but still has that great citrus component.
Drinks are available, what about food with lobster? If you don't know what to serve with lobster, check out our blog post!
Wine Should Not Pair With Lobster
There are some wines that should never be served with lobster dishes, including:
Rich, Oaky Chardonnay
You should be careful with this wine because it is too rich and can overpower the taste of your lobster.
NV Brut Champagne
Some champagne is a great companion to a lobster dish, but not this one. It’s dry so it’s not a good match with the flavor of lobster. You should avoid wines with zero dosage and brut nature wines, some other styles of Champagne like Pol Roger or Laurent Perrier can be a good alternative.
Roero Arneis
This wine comes with a lemony flavor that might clash with the lemon in your lobster dish.
Tips Pairing Wine With Lobster
You might think that for each types of lobster, you should drink the right wine. But there's no rule for this, so you can enjoy any wine you want. In simple words, this is how you can choose good wine for lobster:
- Lobsters served with a creamy sauce: You can pair your dish with either an oaked or unoaked Chardonnay, as well as a white Burgundy or Chablis.
- Lobsters with spicy seasonings: A dry or off-dry Riesling is a good option. You can also opt for a Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris.
- Lobsters served with a tomato sauce: Pair the dish with Chianti or Barbera that are unoaked.
- Steamed or boiled lobsters with butter: An oaked or unoaked Chardonnay is an ideal choice. Besides, an Albarino, Champagne or sparkling wine is not a bad idea.
- Lobsters with lots of greens: Look for Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, or a dry Rose.
In case you are not a wine drinker, you can have other drinks such as a local craft beer, a fun cocktail, or any drink. If you are not a big fan of alcoholic drinks, then pair your lobster dish with sparkling lemonade or a home-brewed iced tea.
Don't forget to use lobster utensils for the best eating lobster experience!
Pairing Wine With Other Seafood
Now you know what the best wine for lobster is, so how about the other seafood? Can you pair wine with them as well? Let us help you:
- Fried seafood goes well with sparkling wine. A Toso Brut or a Cava can be a good addition to your meal.
- Spicy seafood is better paired with slightly sweeter white wines, like Marsanne, Roussanne, Riesling, Muscat or Gewürztraminer. You shouldn’t pair spicy seafood with red wine. But if you want to try, opt for a lighter-bodied wine like Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Cinsault.
- Scallops should go with a Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Also, you can choose Albariño and Verdelho wines for scallops, shellfish, and lobster.
- Tuna suits a light and fruity wine like rosé or a light Pinot Noir.
- Any lobster dishes go well with dry Fino Sherry.
- Halibut fish should be paired with a Chardonnay that can match the creamy and full taste.
Even when you have the best wine for lobster, your meal can’t be perfect unless you get the fresh Maine lobster to pair it with. While you spend time choosing your wine, make an order from Fishermen's Net to get the best quality of lobster or any seafood, best live Maine lobsters shipped to your door whenever you want.
Visit our blog for more useful tips related to the lobster. Feel free to contact us via the below contact information if you have any further questions or requests.
Website: www.mualobster.com
Address: 849 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04103.
Tel: +1 (207) 772-3565.
