Lobster is perfect for dinner parties, special occasions, or if you are craving succulent, moist lobster meat. If you are serving wine with lobster, you cannot pair any wine with lobster.
Wine pairings are much more complex than picking up the first bottle of wine you see in the store. All wines do not pair with all foods, so you need to know the right wine pairings for lobster.
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What To Consider When Pairing Lobster and Wine?
The right wine boosts the flavor of the lobster. Lobster and wine pairings depend on a few factors.
Lobster is better suited to crisp wine with fresh notes. However, you must consider the cooking method when crafting wine pairings.
Cooking Methods
Steamed lobster has a fresh yet salty and sweet flavor. Steamed lobster has a soft texture that melts in your mouth like butter.
Grilled lobster has a subtle char flavor and a chewy texture. The flavor of the lobster will be heightened by any seasonings or marinades added to the lobster.
Baked lobster has an added depth of flavor and meaty texture. Baking lobster is one of the versatile methods, as you can add sauces to the lobster.
In contrast, boiled lobster has a fresh, salty, sweet flavor and a relatively soft texture.
How the lobster was cooked, the sauce and the side dishes can impact the wine pairing. For example, lobster served with or cooked in butter and served with hearty side dishes like polenta, pasta, or mashed potatoes should be served with Australian or Californian Chardonnay.
On the other hand, lobster served plain or with a light lemon sauce should be served with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. These wines are light and crisp, which helps balance out the lobster’s flavor.
What Wine Pairs With Lobster?
The delicate meat encased in a lobster shell needs to be paired with a crisp, fresh, and light wine. The trick to pairing lobster with wine is acidity. Acidic wines have a light, crisp body that does not overpower the lobster.
Riesling
Riesling has excellent acidity. Riesling varies from very dry to sweet. However, a dry Riesling is better suited to lobster than sweet Riesling. Lobster is slightly sweet. Pairing it with a sweet wine could cause a flavor clash.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc has a dry, crisp flavor. It’s also a summertime classic bursting with lime, passion fruit, and green apple flavors, so it pairs beautifully with lobster.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a versatile wine that ranges from full-bodied to light-bodied. Therefore, it does not matter if you use lobster tails or claws or how you pair the lobster.
There will always be a Chardonnay wine that pairs perfectly with lobster.
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is a super light wine. Not only does it pair with lobster, but Pinot Grigio also works well with other types of seafood, such as crabs, clams, fish, scallops, and oysters.
Pinot Grigio has a subtle herbaceous flavor with strong notes of citrus.
What Wines Should Not Be Paired With Lobster?
While you need to know which wines should be paired with lobster, you also need to know which wines to stay away from. Yes, lobster is versatile, but not all wines pair with lobster.
Oak Aged Chardonnay
Some Chardonnay wines lightly aged in oak barrels can pair well with lobster. However, Chardonnay aged in oak barrels for a long time should be avoided at all costs.
These Chardonnay wines are too rich and can overwhelm the sweet, succulent flavor of the lobster.
Brut Champagne
Brut means dry. If Champagne is overly dry, it can drastically negatively alter the lobster’s flavor. It’s best to avoid all brut Champagne and look for Champagne that has a subtle, delicate flavor.
Roero Arneis
Roero Arneis is a white wine with delicate herbs and almonds aromas. Its flavors consist of pear and apple.
However, sometimes the flavor of Roero Arneis can be quite lemony. More lemon isn’t necessarily a good thing as the lemon can conflict if there is lemon in the lobster.
Can You Drink Pinot Noir With Lobster?
The wine gods usually don’t recommend pairing red wine with delicate seafood like lobster. However, lobster does pair well with some white wines.
The rule for lobster and red wine pairings is the same for all wine and seafood. Do not pair tannic wines with lobster, as it can give the lobster a metallic flavor.
For example, light-bodied red wines like Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Gamay red wines pair perfectly with lobster. Light-bodied red wines have lots of flavors, but they are not so tannic that they overpower the flavor of the wine.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a light red wine that bursts with fruity flavor. The fruity flavors enhance the flavor of the lobster. However, the acidity also helps cut through the succulent, rich lobster.
Sangiovese
Sangiovese has high levels of acidity and a medium amount of tannins. The flavors of tart cherry, strawberry, fig, and red plum pair perfectly with the succulent lobster.
Barbera
Barbera is typically not aged in oak barrels. It has flavors of sour cherry and strawberry. The low levels of tannins and high acidity are perfect for lobster served with a tomato-based dish.
Gamay
Gamay red wine is very acidic. Even though it has a medium level of tannins, its earthy aroma and tart flavors with raspberry and black cherry notes pair nicely with lobster. It’s also an excellent cheaper alternative to Pinot Noir.
Final Thoughts
Lobster has been and will always be in high demand. With a light texture and mild, subtly sweet flavor, lobster needs to be paired with the right wine. There are many methods for pairing lobster with wine.
Luckily, lobster wine pairings won’t be an issue since you’ve got the inside scoop. Best of all, you get to experiment with different lobster and wine pairings.
Remember, when pairing lobster and wine, the wine should enhance the lobster flavor, not overpower it.