How To Find Your Perfect Lobster Wine Pairing

Pairing wine with lobster might seem complicated at first. Luckily, we’re here to show you that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case! 

Are you excited to pair some grilled lobsters with wine?

Here’s the main takeaway:

The wine you ought to choose depends on the dish. The exact preparation and serving of the lobster will tell you everything about the wine you should choose.

Lobster is a delicate dish. It doesn’t go well with wines high in tannins like red wines usually are. That said, they also don’t fare well with low acidity wines; such wines don’t bring out the lobster’s flavor!

Try some of our pairings for yourself, and let us know how you liked them!

Chardonnay

Anyone with some experience pairing wine with lobster will tell you that Chardonnay is the most obvious choice.

Chardonnay has medium tannin levels and acidity. It can be either light or full-bodied—which makes it a viable option for pretty much any lobster dish out there.

Some dishes benefit from a crisp, fruit-forward wine. Others need a fuller, more oaky wine. Both types of wine can pair with lobster very well.

Pairing With Lobster

Lightly oaked or unoaked Chardonnay goes great with steamed or broiled lobster, especially if the lobster comes with a creamy, buttery sauce. Any rich or buttery dish will do!

But let’s say you’re just really looking to cool off by the beach with an excellent, cold dish. For these types of situations specifically, get yourself a glass (or a bottle) of Chablis. Chablis is a cool-climate Chardonnay; it’s citrusy and works excellent with grilled or steamed lobster. 

You can go slow and take your sweet time with the dish; the wine has the flavor covered. Also, go with a lightly oaked Chablis if there’s a buttery sauce involved.

If you’re considering a vibrant wine, here’s a word of warning:

It can easily overpower the delicate lobster meat!

Riesling

Riesling is another obvious choice in lobster wine pairing as it brings lots of citrusy notes. Lots of citrusy notes mean high acidity, and high acidity means that it will bring out the flavor of the lobster.

Now, apart from that, this wine also has some rich floral notes. This combination of flavors means that a Riesling is a perfect fit for the natural sweetness of the lobster.

That being said, a Riesling can vary from being very sweet to very dry. You’ll want to look for a dry or off-dry Riesling to go with your lobster dish.

Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer also do wonders in this combination. They’re more tropical and bring out some of the more delicate flavors of the lobster. Although lower in acidity, they suit lobster dishes well with their gingery notes.

Pairing With Lobster

Lemon and lobster are unique, powerful, and somewhat delicate.

To start, a Riesling would go wonderfully with broiled or baked lobster. Its richness of citrus notes ties the lobster and lemon flavor together exceptionally well. 

But there’s a particular dishes where it genuinely shines: spicy dishes. A dish served with a spicy sauce on the side always pairs well with this wine, either dry or off-dry.

Rosé

We admit that Rosé is an unusual choice compared to the wines listed. For starters, it’s not a white wine. 

Shocking, indeed!

But pairing lobster with white wine is only a convention—a general guideline and nothing more. Of course, there are darker wines out there that work just as well! You should stray off the beaten path to experience some unique flavors.

Rosé won’t overwhelm the lobster that easily, even though the balance might be slightly shifted than white wine.

Pairing With Lobster

If you’re planning on having a grilled or baked lobster dish, then definitely try  Rosé Champagne. 

It’s got just enough acidity to bring out the lobster’s flavor, and it’s bubbly! What’s not to like?

Sangiovese

Here we are on the other, or shall we say, darker side of the spectrum. Red wine doesn’t usually go well with lobster, but of course, there are certain exceptions. Yes, the Sanguis Jovis, the “Blood of Jupiter.” Romantic, isn’t it? 

This Italian wine is medium-bodied and happens to have both medium tannins and high acidity. That makes it perfect for a lobster pairing. 

Let’s have a look at an example of Sangiovese: Chianti. Chianti is one of the best choices for red wine and lobster pairing. Its grapes come from the ever-charming Chianti Hills of Tuscany.

Like the Sauvignon Blanc mentioned earlier, Chianti brings some herbal notes to the table. These herbal notes bring out the gentle flavor of the meat and sauce of your dish and give it that special “something.”

Pairing With Lobster

There’s one scenario where the Sangiovese wines really shine. What’s that, you ask?

They excel at bringing tomato-based dishes to life.

Perhaps you like to have your lobster with a tomato-based sauce—as we assume Italians do—right? And if that’s the case, we have some fantastic news: You won’t go wrong with a good Sangiovese wine. It’ll make a great lobster line pairing.

Pinot Noir

We’ve saved the darkest contender for last.

This is a remarkable wine indeed. Pinot Noir that originates in the Burgundy region of France is extraordinary. It’s lightly bodied and has low tannin levels. That’s two boxes checked right away. 

Now, while it may not have the citrusy notes of white wines listed previously, its acidity does bring a little spin on things. If you haven’t had it, trust us, it’s worth trying!

Pairing With Lobster

One specific dish stands out when talking about the Burgundy region’s Pinot Noir―and that’s the Lobster Thermidor.

It makes sense that such a complicated and layered dish would require a distinguished and complex wine to go along with it. You might imagine that a red wine would overpower the lobster, but in this case, this specific wine strikes that perfect balance.

Let’s Sum It Up

When pairing lobster and wine, your goal is simple—bring out the uniqueness of both the wine and the dish. 

And you do that by knowing the traits of each, then finding complementary pairs. Stick to the “high acidity, low tannins” mantra, and you’ll be good to go!

With all that said, is there a lobster and wine pairing you swear by, but we foolishly forgot to mention? Which pairings do you look forward to trying the most?

We can’t know unless you hop to the comments and tell us. So, hurry up, we’re waiting!