Wine pairing with a seafood platter

A seafood platter is one of the most enjoyable wine pairing challenges because almost everything on it wants the same thing: high acidity, minerality, and no oak. The question is not what style of wine to drink but which specific bottle is worth ordering.

The universal principle

Everything on a seafood platter -- oysters, prawns, crab, lobster, clams, langoustines -- is delicate, saline, and high in natural sweetness. The wine needs acidity to match the salinity and freshness to complement the sweetness. Heavy, oaky, or tannic wines overwhelm the food entirely.

Chablis

Chablis is the classic choice for a seafood platter. The mineral, almost saline quality of good Chablis mirrors the flavour of shellfish in a way that most other wines do not. Village level at 18 to 22 pounds does the job.

Champagne and sparkling wine

Champagne with a seafood platter is not an indulgence -- it is one of the best food pairings in the world. The acidity, the bubbles, and the biscuity complexity all work with the range of flavours on the plate. A Cremant or a good English sparkling wine does the same job at a fraction of the price.

At a seafood restaurant? Upload the wine list to Pour and it will find the right pairing for your platter.

Use Pour at your next restaurant