Crawfish Friendly Staff Picks

Most of you who shop with us know we just love giving suggestions on food and wine pairings. So when I told the staff I’d like to do a series on their picks for specific foods and activities, these were their selections for our beloved seafood tradition, boiled crawfish.

Seafood season here in Louisiana kicks into high gear right after Mardi Gras. Partially because of Lent and maybe a little to do with warmer temps and crawfish availability, this time of year is heaven for seafood lovers. How lucky are we to have sources for everything from blue crab to shrimp, crawfish, and oysters, not to mention the abundant selection of fish from drum, to red snapper, redfish, sheepshead, mahi mahi and more?

Boiling crawfish is a popular activity and we are in peak season right now. While beer is the go-to beverage at a boil, for those of us who love wine, there are some great choices. Overall, when pairing wine with boiled crawfish, it's important to look for wines with refreshing acidity and fruitiness that can complement the flavors and provide a refreshing contrast to the spice.

Jessie…chose one of our most loved (and served!) drinks from the bar, the Italian Spritz. We gave up Aperol a few years ago when we tasted the Contratto Aperitivo. No chemicals or added coloring, it is a natural product that is less sweet than Aperol and has now been a staple at the bar and on the shelves. It produces a classic spritz - its sweet tangerine notes and slight bitterness, make it just the thing to sip on while eating salty, spicy foods, in fact, it was made for it!

Kimi…went for a less than obvious choice this time - the Scarpa Pelaverga Verduno, another delicious, rare variety from the rolling hills of the Langhe in Piemonte. The Pelaverga grape is planted in minuscule quantities so the fact that we get any is a miracle. Light-bodied reds with a chill can be perfect with shellfish as the bright acidity and fruity flavors complement the flavors of the crawfish and provide a refreshing contrast to the spice. The Scarpa has high acidity, light tannins with a savory palate of red fruit, dried orange peel, and white pepper flavors - and it loves to be chilled

Erin…rosé wines are usually a no-brainer, in fact, we used to hold a crawfish and rosé event every year to highlight the diversity of pink wines that complement crawfish. Light, clean and refreshing the 2022 Stoller Rosé of Pinot Noir from Oregon is the best vintage we’ve had of this wine. Citrus zest and orange peel with juicy fruit and bracing acidity, it has an electric vibrancy that practically buzzes in your mouth, and the fruit provides a refreshing contrast to the spice.

Bridget… A sparkling rosé can be a great pairing with crawfish, as the wine's fruity and floral notes can complement the sweetness of the meat and the effervescence helps to cleanse the palate between bites. The Il Mostro Longana Rosato Frizzante is an organic Pétillant Naturel made from Montepulciano. It’s both dense and juicy, with light red fruit flavors and floral notes with firm acidity making it a fun and exciting glass of sparkling rosé from a not-so-obvious grape variety.

Beth…while some might think an older vintage Riesling would be wasted on a crawsfish boil, I say, life’s too short, drink what you want when you want it! The 2016 Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Grosses Gewachs is from a super steep vineyard that spans an entire hillside facing the Mosel river and is made with grapes from 40 - 50 year old vines. It’s classically bone dry but the age has softened the edges a bit and the ever so slight sweetness can help balance out the spice, while the acidity provides a refreshing contrast to the richness. It’s great with anything or nothing…

So there you have it! If you are interested in any of these, just ask on your next visit. Next up will be our favorite picnic wines!