quel vin boire avec des crevettes

Brown shrimp, small and dark, and the common prawn, larger and pink once cooked, share delicate meat and a briny taste. For either one, choose a crisp wine: a dry Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, or a fine-bubbled sparkling wine such as a Brut Champagne. How you serve them then narrows the choice.

Whole Prawns to Peel with Drinks

The common prawn measures 2 to 4.3 inches (5 to 11 cm). It lives in rocky crevices of the Atlantic, from Denmark to Mauritania, and in the Mediterranean. Served whole with bread, butter and a lemon wedge, it is peeled by hand while you sip.

A Petit Chablis suits it: a dry, crisp, fruity white known for its minerality and lightness. That minerality goes well with the briny taste of the meat. Drink it young: it does not need aging.

Prefer bubbles? A Brut Champagne has less than 12 grams of sugar per liter; a Brut Nature stays under 3 grams, for the least sugar possible.

As a Cold Appetizer: Salad, Avocado or Grapefruit

Peeled and served cold, in a salad, on half an avocado or with grapefruit segments, shrimp share the plate with rich, tangy or slightly bitter ingredients. With citrus and fresh herbs, pick a Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine, the main grape of the appellation’s whites.

With avocado or a mayonnaise-based sauce, a slightly rounder Chardonnay, from Burgundy for example, stands up better to the richness. For a sweeter shrimp and mango salad, an aromatic white matches the fruit.

Go easy on the vinegar: a very sharp dressing makes the wine taste hard, while a drizzle of olive oil and lemon keeps it in balance.

Pan-Seared or Skewered Shrimp as a Main Course

Seared in a pan or grilled on skewers, shrimp pick up roasted notes and come to the table with rice, pasta or vegetables. Take them off the heat as soon as they change color to keep the meat tender. The wine can then gain some body without losing its freshness.

A Jurançon Sec fits well: it is made mostly from Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng and contains no more than 4 grams of sugar per liter. If the sauce has cream in it, an oak-aged Chardonnay also works.

With shrimp pasta in tomato sauce, go back to a leaner white, a Sauvignon Blanc or an unoaked Chardonnay, which keeps its freshness against the acidity of the sauce.

Brown Shrimp, Shrimp Cocktail, Garlic: Your Pairing Questions

What wine goes with brown shrimp?

With brown shrimp, serve a light, dry white, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or an unoaked Chardonnay, that will not mask their delicate meat. This small brown shrimp, 2 to 3 inches long (5 to 8 cm), is caught mainly in the southern North Sea; around France’s Bay of the Somme, locals call it a “grasshopper.”

What wine goes with shrimp cocktail?

With shrimp cocktail, serve a dry Riesling or a dry rosé, which hold up to the sauce better than a very light white. The French-style sauce blends mayonnaise, ketchup and a strong spirit such as Cognac or whisky, seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

What wine goes with garlic shrimp?

With garlic shrimp, serve a crisp dry white such as a Touraine Sauvignon Blanc or a Jurançon Sec to balance the garlic and the fat. If you add chili, keep the wine well chilled and choose one with moderate alcohol.

Where can you buy wine for shrimp direct from the winemaker?

You can buy wine for shrimp direct from the producer on Avenue des Vins. Every wine’s page lists its grape varieties.

See also: What wine should you drink with mussels? - Wines and fish - What wine should you drink with spring rolls?