What wine goes with shellfish and seafood? Our pairings
501 wines to serve with shellfish and seafoodWith shellfish and seafood, serve a dry, mineral, saline white wine: Chardonnay, Albariño, Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc or a fine brut sparkling wine. These wines highlight the briny sweetness of langoustines, lobster or prawns.
For a cold seafood platter, liveliness comes first: an Assyrtiko from Greece or an Albariño from Spain. Grilled lobster or spiny lobster in butter calls for a fuller Chardonnay, from Burgundy or South Africa. Our article on wine and seafood pairings covers each shellfish in detail.
Schloss Johannisberg - Silberlack Trocken GG 2023
A great dry Riesling from the Rheingau: deep, saline and intensely chiselled.
Nyetimber - Tillington Single Vineyard 2014
A single-plot expression of Sussex, at once broad, fresh and subtly delicious.
Marco de Bartoli - Vecchio Samperi NV
A great Sicilian perpetual wine, deep and singular. The saline imprint of Marsala in a refined oxidative expression.
Mac Forbes - GI Spring Riesling 2021
A lively, delicate high-altitude Riesling, between fruity brightness, floral finesse and mineral tension.
Ladeiras Do Xil - Branco Santa Cruz 2022
A great Galician white with relief, between granite depth and saline freshness.
Luis Pato - Quinta do Ribeirinho Branco 2022
A rare white from Bairrada, taut and saline. Here Sercialinho reveals remarkable precision.
Planeta - Chardonnay 2023
A great Sicilian Chardonnay, sun-drenched and precise, between creamy richness and maritime freshness.
Weingut Bründlmayer - R. Ried Heiligenstein AR 2020
A deep, luminous terroir Riesling, where the power of old vines meets incisive minerality.
Errázuriz - Aconcagua Costa Chardonnay 2022
A precise and saline Chilean coastal Chardonnay, where ocean freshness meets beautiful aromatic depth.
Planeta - Etna Bianco - Contrada Taccione 2023
A volcanic Carricante, chiselled and saline, born on the northern slopes of Etna.
Clos Mogador - Nelin 2022
A generous and precise Priorat white, where the minerality of schist meets beautiful Mediterranean freshness.
Portal del Priorat - Trossos Sants 2019
An ample, saline white from Priorat, where ripe fruit meets the minerality of schist.
Schloss Johannisberg - Goldlack Trocken 2020
A broad, taut Rheingau Riesling, where ripe fruit meets a saline finish.
Cristom - Eola Amity Hills Chardonnay 2020
A precise and saline Chardonnay from Eola-Amity Hills, where the freshness of the cool climate meets the depth of volcanic soils.
Zeni - Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2025
A fresh and mineral Pinot Grigio
Gavalas Winery - Santorini Natural Ferment 2022
A naturally fermented Assyrtiko from Santorini, taut and saline, that precisely expresses the power of the volcanic terroir.
Gavalas Winery - Posta 2024
A Santorini white with a marked saline tension, where volcanic minerality meets a dazzling freshness.
Hartenberg - Eleanor Chardonnay 2019
A precise and elegant South African Chardonnay, where the freshness of the Stellenbosch terroir meets a lovely, gourmet richness.
Seresin Estate - Sauvignon Blanc 2023
A precise and vibrant Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, combining maritime freshness, aromatic purity, and a lingering saline finish.
Elizabeth Spencer - Sauvignon Blanc 2024
A precise and refreshing Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, combining aromatic intensity and great drinkability.
Dr Loosen - Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett 2024
An airy and precise Moselle Riesling, where the gourmet fruit meets vibrant minerality.
Blank Canvas - Holdaway 2024
A precise and vibrant Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, where the ocean's freshness meets fruit purity.
David & Nadia - Rondevlei 2022
A precise, saline Swartland white, where freshness highlights the purity of the Rondevlei terroir.
Borgogno - Derthona 2023
A Piedmontese Timorasso with character, combining mineral depth, amplitude, and great freshness.
Which wine for which shellfish?
Each kind of seafood has its own texture and flavour. Here is how to choose the right bottle.
| Dish | Wines to choose | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Seafood platter oysters, whelks, brown shrimps, clams | Assyrtiko, Albariño, brut sparkling wine | Salinity and liveliness embrace the briny flavours and refresh the palate between shellfish. |
| Raw oysters rock oysters, flat oysters | Sauvignon Blanc, mineral Chardonnay, dry sake | A taut white or a dry sake extends the marine note of the oyster. |
| Grilled lobster or spiny lobster Breton lobster, spiny lobster in butter | Chardonnay from Burgundy or South Africa | The broad texture answers the firm, sweet flesh, and the butter finds its echo. |
| Langoustines and king prawns langoustines with mayonnaise, flambéed king prawns | Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Grenache Blanc | Their fruity roundness brings out the natural sweetness of the flesh. |
| Crab and spider crab brown crab, spider crab, crab rillettes | Dry Riesling, Furmint | Chiselled acidity lightens the mayonnaise and highlights the delicacy of the crab. |
| Scallops seared, as carpaccio, in butter | Finely oaked Chardonnay, Sémillon | A silky white goes with the melting texture and nutty flavour. |
| Mussels and cooked shellfish moules marinières, clams with garlic | Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc | A lively white echoes the cooking wine, garlic and parsley. |
| Asian-style prawns prawns stir-fried with ginger, prawn pad thai | Riesling, Torrontés | Their aromatic profile goes with ginger, lemongrass and mild chilli. |
For oysters, our guide what wine goes with oysters compares each variety.
Salinity above all
With crustaceans, we look for wines that taste of the coast. Assyrtiko from Greece is the perfect example: sharp, almost salty, it brings brightness to a seafood platter. Spanish Albariño plays in the same register with more generous fruit, ideal with mussels or clams.
For lobster and spiny lobster, it is time for age-worthy Chardonnays. The ones from Hamilton Russell in South Africa or Duckhorn in the United States offer a buttery texture and a fresh finish that enhance the flesh. Feeling adventurous? The dry Furmints from Balassa, in Hungary, combine tension and substance: a treat with brown crab or langoustines. For a festive platter, the Vino Frizzante Col Fondo from Bresolin brings rustic, refreshing bubbles.
Three pairings to try
Seafood platter and Assyrtiko. A salinity that extends each shellfish.
Grilled lobster and Hamilton Russell Chardonnay. The roundness of the wine answers the butter and the sweet flesh.
Brown crab with mayonnaise and dry Furmint. A lively acidity that elegantly lightens the sauce.
The Wine Wanderer Team
Your questions about wine and shellfish
What white wine goes with seafood?
Go for a dry, lively, saline white: Albariño, Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc or dry Riesling. These wines go with the briny taste of shellfish and the sweetness of prawns. For seafood cooked with butter or cream, step up in roundness with a Chardonnay or a Chenin Blanc.
What wine goes with lobster?
With lobster, serve a full-bodied, fresh Chardonnay, ideally from Burgundy, South Africa or the United States. Its texture answers the firm, sweet flesh, and its oak ageing supports the butter or sauce. For cold lobster in a salad, a livelier white, such as a dry Riesling, brings lightness.
What wine goes with a seafood platter?
For a platter, choose a taut, mineral white that goes with everything on it: Assyrtiko, Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc. A brut sparkling wine also works very well and adds a festive touch. The key: a fresh, saline wine that lets both the oyster and the langoustine shine.
Champagne or white wine with shellfish?
Both go very well. A Champagne or a brut sparkling wine enhances a cold platter and prawns as an aperitif thanks to its fine bubbles. A fuller white, such as a Chardonnay, takes over with hot crustaceans, grilled or in sauce. Discover our sparkling wines too.
What wine goes with langoustines?
With langoustines, choose a white that is both round and fresh: Chenin Blanc, Viognier or lightly oaked Chardonnay. Their delicate, sweet flesh loves fruity wines. Poached and served with mayonnaise, they also appreciate the liveliness of a dry Riesling or an Albariño.
At what temperature should wine be served with seafood?
Serve lively whites and sparkling wines between 7 and 9 °C for a platter, and richer Chardonnays between 11 and 13 °C with lobster or scallops. An ice bucket on the table keeps the bottle at the right temperature throughout the meal.