What Wine Goes With Shrimp? 3 Perfect Pairings From a Sommelier

WWMD – What would Margaret drink?

Margaret Pearman, a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, curates the acclaimed wine program at Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte. This month, she pairs three very different shrimp dishes with wines worthy of the occasion.

THREE WINES THAT BRING OUT THE BEST IN SHRIMP

Shrimp may be the Lowcountry’s favorite culinary canvas: sweet, quick-cooking and endlessly adaptable. But when it comes to choosing a wine, what surrounds the shrimp matters just as much as the shrimp itself. From the sweet heat of pad thai to buttery scampi and the bold seasoning of a Southern shrimp boil, here are three bottles that rise to the occasion.

Best Wine With Shrimp Pad Thai: Alsatian Gewürztraminer

Shrimp pad Thai + Alsatian Gewürztraminer

Pad Thai’s tamarind tang, fish-sauce savoriness, crushed peanuts and gentle chile heat call for a wine with perfume and poise. Gewürztraminer from Alsace brings notes of lychee, rose petal and ginger-like spice with enough richness to complement the noodles and enough fruit to soften the heat. Serve it well chilled to keep those expressive aromatics bright and lifted.

Best bet: Dopff & Irion Gewürztraminer, Alsace. Retails for around $15-$20.

Best Wine With Shrimp Scampi: White Burgundy

Shrimp scampi + white Burgundy

Garlic, butter, lemon and parsley call for Chardonnay, but not just any Chardonnay. White Burgundy shows the grape’s elegant side, offering citrus, orchard fruit, minerality and a creamy texture that mirrors the sauce without weighing it down. Bright acidity keeps every buttery bite lively, especially when there’s crusty bread nearby to soak up the sauce.

Best bet: Jean-Marc Brocard Petit Chablis. Retails for around $25-$30.

Best Wine With a Southern Shrimp Boil: Muscadet

Southern shrimp boil + Muscadet

A classic shrimp boil brings shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage together in one generously seasoned feast. Muscadet, from France’s Loire Valley, is lean, saline and brisk, making it a natural partner for shellfish. Its lemony snap cuts through the spice and richness of the sausage while echoing the briny sweetness of the shrimp. Pour it cold, spread out the newspaper, and let the peeling begin. A warm, damp towel wouldn’t hurt either.

Best bet: Domaine Fief aux Dames Muscadet. Retails for around $17-$20.