WWMD: Wines to pair with shrimp

WHAT WOULD MARGARET DRINK?

Margaret Pearman is a certified sommelier under the Court of Master Sommeliers and is responsible for curating the award-winning wine list at Charlie’s Coastal Bistro. Here is her sipping suggestion for September:

Wines to pair with shrimp

To be surrounded by waters, it’s a conundrum to outsiders as to why our tables are not filled with local seafood year-round. But if there is one local staple from our rivers we can always rely on, it has to be the shrimp. When the waters start to cool off, a dedicated shrimper can put away more than enough to last through the year. For me, shrimp conjure up precious memories while I was crouched down on the bottom to the bateaux watching my father cast the giant net out. I was there to gather them up as he shook the net out. Sunday dinners of beer-battered or boiled shrimp were a regular at our house. Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat shrimp and some out-of-the-box wines to drink with them.

BOILED/STEAMED OR PICKLED

• Do Ferrero Albarino, Rias Baixas (1): Incredible salinity yet creaminess ($35).
• La Vignette Touraine: Vivacious and refreshing Sauv Blanc. Sancerre’s neighboring region and perfect substitute for a fraction of the price ($20).

GUMBO, NOLA BARBECUED SHRIMP OR LOWCOUNTRY BOIL

• Carol Shelton Coquille Blanc, Paso (2): A blended white for a red wine lover that is big and round and loves to pair with a little spice ($25).
• Dom Sebastien Magnien, Hautes Cotes de Beaune (3): Classic Burgundian Pinot with notes of ripe blackberry and silky tannins ($40)
• Wine & Soul Manoella(4): Douro-aged in small French barriques, this Portugese red delivers complexity with a medium to full-bodied expression of red fruit and a hint of floral notes ($22)