Seafood and wine pairings

 

Scallops

Additions from readers:

Hermitage blanc is the classic French match with grilled or fried scallops. Zippy chardonnays (Grand cru Chablis), rieslings (German Kabinett, Pacific Northwest), Austrian grüner vertliners, Spanish Rias Baixas and Portugese white Vinho verde are more affordable alternatives. Scallops in cream sauces require richer whites, such as top-drawer Graves and Burgundies, New World chardonnays or German Ausleses and Spätleses. — Craig Schweickert

Shellfish

Sancerre and Muscadet from the Loire are exceptionally suited to oysters, perhaps because shellfish are an important part of the local cuisine and the wine evolved to match.
Shrimp work well with crisp whites like White Bordeaux (and Sauvignon Blanc in general) or with leaner Chardonnays like Chablis.

Pick a fatter, buttery Chardonnay to match lobster, and a slightly sweet white – Riesling might be ideal – to quaff with crab.

Surf and turf

This classic luxury dinner poses a dilemma because surf (lobster) really works best with a rich white like a big Chardonnay, while turf (beef) calls out for a dry red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
About all you can do is decide which wine you like best and accept that it's not going to go as well with half of the main entree; or if the event is festive and you're having a crowd, say the heck with it and serve both!

You can also go with a very good Champagne or other sparkling wine, which would be great with lobster and fairly good with the beef, but it's still pretty hard for me to imagine enjoying a really good steak without a fine red wine.

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