Holiday Wine & Seafood Guide

For the perfect wine pairings

One of the many joys of wine is it’s flavorful versatility and ability to pair with any food, sweet or savory, and seafood is no exception. I like to reflect on the link between the sea and the grape. Many of the world’s greatest wine producing regions are situated near oceanic coasts and waterways, creating this harmonious dependency-making seafood and wine the best of pairing friends.

The holidays are meant to be flush with friends, family, good food and drink. To make busy holiday shopping simpler, here is our easy to follow holiday wine and seafood pairing guide.  

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of those holiday wines that will pair well with many seafood dishes. A relatively neutral grape, Chardonnay derives it’s nuanced flavors from the region it was grown and style of aging (to oak or not to oak, that is the question). For the holidays, I find a slightly oak aged Chardonnay to be the best fit, especially if paired with rich flavored foods (and the holidays are filled with rich foods) like clam chowder or crab bisque, a hollandaise topped lobster eggs benedict or a decadent seafood gnocchi or risotto.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc wines are fabulous. They offer a nice palate acidity with a balanced honeysuckle, pear and citrus nose-absolutely tasty and meant for seafood. Every time I enjoy a glass of Chenin Blanc, I crave a lobster roll (it never fails). If a lobster roll is not in your future, this holiday wine is perfect for pairing crab cakes or garlicky seafood dishes with mussels (steamed garlic mussels), clams (linguine and clams) or shrimp (scampi).

Rosé 

The magic that is Rosé, a sipper that everyone can enjoy with flavors ranging from cloying and sweet to crisp and tart-the holiday party favorite. Rosé is made when red grape skins come in contact with the wine for a brief period of time, giving it that classic pink color. I love Pinot Noir Rosé, still vibrant and fresh with flavors of strawberry, rhubarb and citrus- wonderful for any crab boil, clam bake or Frogmore stew. I would recommend Rosé for any spicy holiday dishes as well, Shrimp Fra Diavolo or Crab Arrabbiata pasta, bon appetit. 

Pinot Gris

With naming designations coming from Italy and France, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape and cousins of the famed Pinot Noir. I adore Pinot Gris pairings with fried seafood; fried soft shell crabs, calamari, crab cakes or Italian fritto misto. The tartness and citrus forward flavor cleanses the palate and acts like that little squeeze of lemon to finish. Plus it pairs nicely with fried seafood’s creamy accompaniments (remoulade, aioli or tartar). 

Pinot Noir  

The world’s most popular grape has palatability that everyone loves- fruity with soft tannins and moderate acidity- ideal for seafood dishes. My favorite Pinot Noir wines have a slightly smoky finish, the light smoke and fruit pair incredibly well with dishes that are seafood forward but have a little meaty (or tomatoey) depth; gumbo, jambalaya, cioppino, bouillabaisse and paella.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernets are not usually associated with seafood, their full bodied rich tannic properties could over power some delicate seafood recipes, but hearty seafood and meat dishes are a match for this wine. Cabernet Sauvignons love to be paired with pepper and smoke. Grilled surf and turf (I love a good grilled lobster tail), bacon wrapped scallops, pepper crusted tuna or a smokey salmon stew.

Buy Seafood Online

The seafood is this article is available at our online store. As we say, ‘from shore to door, 3 days fresher than the grocery store’-all of our seafood is delivered right to your door when you schedule it, guaranteed! That’s convenience you need during the busy holidays!

We’d love to see your friends and family enjoying Cameron’s Seafood with your favorite holiday wine and seafood pairings-share the holiday spirit on any of our social pages, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter be sure to tag us @cameronsseafoodonline. Happy Holidays from Cameron’s Seafood!

By: Patterson Watkins

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