Wine and lobster: here is a food and wine pairing that promises to make sparks fly. Lobster can be cooked in many different ways. Grilled lobster, boiled lobster, lobster thermidor, vanilla lobster, lobster salad: there is a pairing for every recipe. So discover which wine to drink with lobster.
Lobster or spiny lobster: which wine to choose?
Lobster and spiny lobster are seafood that look very much alike. To tell lobster from spiny lobster, look at their shells. The lobster has a shell that is both more flexible and more solid. You also find lobster in colder seas. With firm flesh and an incomparable iodized flavor, lobster is highly sought after. The conventional pairing with lobster is a white wine. But since there are many lobster recipes, there are many white wines you can pair with it. If you want to fully enjoy lobster, find the wine you need.
Wine and lobster: choosing the right white wine
As you will have gathered, this delicious crustacean pairs perfectly with white wine. But you may wonder which white wine to choose with lobster? There are classic pairings and slightly more original ones. Either way, you will be in for a treat. On top of that, the calories in white wine are low, so go for it!
Classic food and wine pairings
Classically, lobster is to be enjoyed with white wines that have a lovely presence on the palate. Lean toward wines with clear minerality and tangy notes. The acidity and fruit of the white wine will show off the iodized side of the lobster. You can choose a white wine from the Loire. For this, head to Saumur, Montlouis or Vouvray. You will make incredible discoveries that truly showcase the lobster. It is a very good pairing with boiled lobster. White Burgundies will also be perfect: Pouilly-Fuissé, Chablis and Chassagne-Montrachet will be your best friends. Still in Burgundy, you can go for a Meursault. This white wine, with notes of dried fruit, has a tangy side that will pair perfectly with your dish. A firm wine is ideal to accompany lobster. A Corton-Charlemagne or a Corton is the ideal wine to serve with lobster thermidor. In Alsace, a Riesling will go very well with lobster. Fruity, floral and mineral all at once, this white wine has all the qualities to highlight the iodized side of your dish. It is a lovely pairing, with grilled lobster for example. Château d’Yquem and lobster, is that possible? The answer is yes, but with conditions. You can drink a Sauternes with lobster provided it is prepared as a salad with exotic notes (with mango, for example) or at least sweet notes. So a Sauternes with vanilla lobster is possible. You can also turn to late-harvest Pinot Gris.
Original food and wine pairings
There are slightly more original pairings with lobster. If you want to surprise your guests, turn to more complex white wines. That said, make sure to keep an acidic backbone in the white wine you choose. Wines with some age will prove particularly interesting with lobster. White wines from the Rhône such as a Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Hermitage will be very interesting to pair. A white Bordeaux will be a bold choice but could prove very rewarding if you go for a Pessac-Léognan, for example. Finally, a white wine from Languedoc-Roussillon stands a good chance of elevating your plate.
Lobster and red wine
Drinking red wine with lobster is a big risk. The firm flesh of the lobster pairs poorly with the tannins of red wine. If you really do not like white wine, it is still possible to turn to a red with lobster. You just have to make sure to choose a red with as few tannins as possible. Lean toward a well-aged wine from the Jura or Burgundy (between 6 and 12 years of aging). Finally, you can choose reds from other regions provided they are aged and have melted tannins.
