What Wine Goes with Shrimp?

Of course, the minute I sat down to write this Shrimp Wine Pairing guide, I immediately thought about the scene in the movie Forrest Gump. And the truth is, there is so many ways to prepare shrimp, I felt I needed to pick a wine to pair with each of them. Shrimp makes it way into many international cuisines so there’s lot of different flavors to consider when finding the perfect wine with shrimp. Let’s start tackling them one by one.

“Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”

Bubba Blue from Forrest Gump

The Best Wines that Go With Shrimp

This list of wines that go with shrimp is pretty foolproof. Regardless of how you prepare your shrimp dish, the following wines will be a good match. Generally, you want to pick a white wine with bright acidity that’s dry or off dry. Light to medium bodied whites are best but there are some shrimp dishes that can handle a fuller style white wine. For specific shrimp dishes and wine pairing, keep scrolling. In no particular order:

1. Chardonnay
2. Sauvignon Blanc
3. Champagne
4. Muscadet
5. Albariño
6. Assyrtiko
7. Viognier
8. Riesling
9. Gewurztraminer
10. Pinot Grigio

Now, you may notice that all the wines for shrimp are white or sparkling. There’s a reason for that. Shrimp is mildly flavored and most red wines would completely overwhelm your palate and you won’t taste the delicate flavors of shrimp. If you love the flavor profiles of red wines like berries, cherries, strawberries, a rosè wine could be a good compromise. I’ve included some red wines with shrimp at the end of the article for those die-hard red drinkers, too.

Wine with Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is generally served at the beginning of a meal as an appetizer. A great wine with shrimp cocktail is Champagne, or a similar sparkling wine like Spanish Cava or Franciacorta. These bubblies are high in acidity which gets your mouth watering for more food, therefore perfect to start any meal.

Alternative Wines with Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp Scampi Wine Pairing

When I make shrimp scampi, I serve the same wine that I use to make the sauce. For me, shrimp scampi will always pair best with Pinot Grigio. I love the tartness of the Pinot Grigio with the lemon sauce and the parsley picks up on the greener notes in Pinot Grigio. And usually, Pinot Grigio isn’t too expensive so you don’t feel bad using it to make the scampi sauce.

Alternative Wines with Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Wine Pairing: Grilled Shrimp

Grilled shrimp is your opportunity to sneak in a red wine. The char of the grill adds a smokey character that can also be found in a barrel aged red wine. NOW, not all red wines will go with grilled shrimp. Choose a juicy, fruit-forward light bodied red wine like Beaujolais, Barbera, or Cretan Liatiko. Avoid any red wines that are full-bodied or have a lot of tannins.

The best white wines with grilled shrimp be a bit fuller bodied. Try grilled shrimp with Viognier or Marsanne.

Coconut Shrimp Wine Pairing

I recently made this coconut shrimp recipe at home and paired it with a Riesling from Alsace. Let me tell you how good it was. Omg, it was so good together. The slight sweetness from the Riesling perfect balanced out the spicy dipping sauce, the Riesling’s acidity perfect cut through the coconut crust. Highly recommend.

Alternative Wines with Coconut Shrimp

• Gewurztraminer
• Moscato
• Off Dry Pinot Gris

Best Wine with Shrimp Pasta

There’s lots of ways to prepare shrimp pasta; shrimp scampi with pasta, shrimp fettucine alfredo, shrimp with Mediterranean style pasta. Here are the wine pairings with each.

Shrimp Risotto Wine Pairing

One of my favorite dishes of all time, especially with fresh peas or asparagus. Shrimp risotto has a creamy, starchy texture that pairs best with a wine with some guts. An oak aged Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris would be my top two picks. If you want to try something new, pick up a bottle of Vidiano from Crete. It’s creamy and lemony which matches perfectly with shrimp risotto.

Shrimp Wine Pairing: Shrimp Saganaki

Shrimp saganaki was made to be paired with Assyrtiko. Assyrtiko is the most popular white wine from Greece and it pairs perfectly with both shrimp and the feta cheese used to make shrimp saganaki.

Does Red Wine Go with Shrimp?

To be frank, usually not. But hey, rule #1 of food and wine pairing is to drink what you like so if you like red wine, drink red wine. If possible, as to not overpower the delicate flavors of shrimp, opt for a red wine that’s light-bodied, high in acidity, and easy on the oak. Also, prepare the shrimp by either grilling or with a tomato-based sauce for a more harmonious shrimp wine pairing with red wine.

Red Wines That Go with Shrimp

• A light Sangiovese
• Pinot Noir
• Beaujolais or Gamay
• Schiava
• Liatiko
• Zweigelt

Shrimp Wine Pairing Conclusion

Most white wines will pair very nicely with shrimp. Be conscious of the sauce or the preparation and match your wines accordingly. Look for medium to high acid wines that are light to medium bodied like Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, and Pinot Grigio. Shrimp is a food that does go well with wines with a touch of sweetness so don’t be afraid to pair with a Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Moscato, or Pinot Gris.

For more advice on wine pairing, check out my ebook.

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