Story by Dave Eckert
As we head into warmer weather, I wanted to strike a seafood theme with my food and beverage articles in this issue. Hence, Indulgences focused on restaurants where one can experience the freshest, most delicious seafood in the metro. Here, in Sips, I’ve extended that experience to include my favorite adult beverage, wine. I asked three of the restaurants featured in Indulgences to weigh in with their opinion on what wines pair best with fresh seafood and why.
Let’s start with Wandering Vine at the Castle’s Executive Chef Byan Sparks. “Well, the common principle is what grows together, goes together. So, our lobster cavatelli and our Pouilly-Fuisse (a French chardonnay) work amazingly well side by side. Alternatively, our Grilled Tuna and Fried Calamari have a definite Asian influence with miso. I find they do well with Pinot Noir. We have two amazing Pinots-a 2021 Clarice, and 2021 Voillot Volnay. You can’t go wrong with either of those or the aforementioned Pouilly Fuisse,” Sparks commented.
Over at Farina, co-owner and Wine Director Nancy Smith is a food and wine pairing guru. That’s reflected in Farina’s award-winning wine list, and Smith’s amazing affinity for picking just the right wine for your dish, whatever that dish may be. “We offer many selections (650) from our Wine Spectator “Best Of” award-winning wine list. Over 200 selections of white wine are intended to pair with seafood, fish, pasta, salads, and other seafood appetizers. Mineral-driven Italian whites are guest favorites for oysters and caviar. We also have French white wines to complement seafood from the raw bar to the wood-fired grill. Sea urchin, Branzino, and halibut pair beautifully with whites from the Roero region of Piedmont. I often pair fresh light red varietals like Dolcetto or Nerello Mascalese with our seafood dishes such as Clam Toast, Sardinian Black Rice, and Shrimp Scampi,” Smith shared.
I wondered if she had some specific pairings that stood out to her and Michael Smith, Farina’s Executive Chef/Partner? It was as if she were reciting the ABC’s.
- Raw Oysters: Malvira Arneis, Piedmont, Italy
- Branzino: Albert Bichot Chablis, Burgundy, France
- Summer Halibut: La Spinetta Sangiovese Rosé, Tuscany, Italy
- Caviar & Burrata: Henriot Champagne
- Grilled Swordfish: Aldo Contorno Bussiador Chardonnay, Piedmont, Italy
I told you she was a wine guru!
At Aqua Penny’s, the wine list, along with the cocktail selections, fell to Bar Manager, Jenn Tosatto. I asked Tosatto, one of the metro’s most talented mixologists, if the seafood-centric nature of the restaurant posed any specific challenges. “I wouldn’t necessarily call them challenges, but definitely things that I had to think about. I’ll preface this by saying: drink what you like! Pairing is all fine and well, but at the end of the day, drink what makes you happy!” Tosatto exclaimed. Wine and seafood is fun! In reds, you are traditionally going to look for light to medium-bodied wines with low tannins such as Pinot Noir and Beaujolais. In whites, look for something with higher acidity, and anything with mineral or citrus notes to complement seafood, especially raw preparations. My little Italian heart insists on Falanghina. These things definitely informed my decisions on our extensive wine list. I did a lot of ‘well, if you typically like this, let me introduce you to this’ ” Tosatto shared. “Also, don’t sleep on Sherry! There’s a reason you use it in lobster bisque. It pairs with darn near any seafood!” First-hand experience tells me Tosatto was spot on in curating her wine list, especially with that Falanghina, which is one of my favorite white wines on the planet!
I’ll close this with a couple of personal recommendations, both of them sparkling wines. I believe sparkling wines are perhaps the most underrated wine category when it comes to pairing with a wide range of cuisine, especially seafood. They are, in general, light to medium-bodied, and extremely well-balanced between fruit, earth, and acidity. In a word, perfect for most seafood.
I recently had two sparklers that both surprised me and delivered a wonderful wine and food experience. The two houses are Tirriddis and Treveri Cellars. Both are from Washington State, and both wineries focus solely on sparkling wine, each adding its own special touches. Seek them out. You will not be disappointed!
