Foodpairing Friday—Pairing Shrimp with Wine-Award Giant

Last Friday we had lobster. Mmm. Today, we’ll have a look at the king-size crustacean’s compact cousin. Call ‘em shrimp, prawns, scampi (yes, there are lots of different species/sizes/flavor-texture profiles, but basically they’re similar enough). They’re hugely popular all over the world; they take to lots of different prep methods (from raw ceviche all the way to toasty char-broiling or grilling); and they slurp up whatever flavors you team ‘em with.

What that means when it comes to beverage pairing is that there’s no one wine that “is perfect with shrimp/prawns/name of choice.” It all depends on what you do with the little fellers.

Stack ‘em with avocado slices, minced cilantro and fresh chile pepper, and a lime-juice dressing (to “cook” the protein), and an off-dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer hits the spot. (So does a beer! I did say “beverage” pairing, after all…) Ditto with spicy Asian or East/West “fusion” dishes.

Saute ‘em in olive oil, add a squeeze of lemon and Mediterranean-type herbs such as parsley and marjoram, and you can happily pour a “green”-tasting Sauvignon Blanc (see yesterday’s post).

Use butter instead, add ginger and/or saffron and/or vanilla, and a rich Chardonnay can step in. And if you step up the intensity level of the add-ins and/or the cooking method, the critters can actually handle a full-flavored rosé or light red.

What I’m leading to here is a lovely shrimp appetizer that we enjoyed at the Friday judges’ dinner at last week’s San Francisco International Wine Competition (see pic). www.sfwinecomp.com Notice that we were served both a pink and a white wine alongside. (And notice also the empty flute. That was from the reception; it had contained some crisp, fruity Prosecco. We tried that with the shrimp too. Thumbs up!)

The wines, a Grenache Blanc and a Grenache Rosé from the “Epiphany” collection of Rhone-style wines, came courtesy of the Fess Parker Winery, www.fessparker.com in Los Olivos (Santa Barbara County). The very charming Ashley Parker Snider (whose dad won my heart as the coonskin-capped Davy Crockett and who made his mark once again as a hotelier and vintner) was the evening’s guest of honor, and she presented the wines for our multi-course dinner. (We’ll meet Ashley in a future podcast, when I visit the winery later in the summer.)

Last year, the Fess Parker wines did so well in this competition that their winemaker, Ashley’s brother Eli (that’s Fess Elisha Parker III) earned our “Winemaker of the Year” honors. In line with SF International’s annual tradition, Fess Parker wines were featured at the judges’ dinner, with a family member presiding.

More on shrimp with wine, along with the lobster lore I promised you last week, coming next week. Join me then, or any Friday, for my latest in food-and-wine pairing.

Cheers for now,
Rosina
gilded fork, wine, wine writing, Welcome to Wine Country, Rosina Tinari Wilson