Try a few sips of summer with delicious albariño wine to pair with a tasty recipe and even more wine suggestions.
My summer plans are as follows…enjoy the sunshine, grill copious amounts of seafood, relax and drink lots of Albariño. Known as the “Seafood Lover’s Wine” this vibrant light bodied wine is made from grapes grown in Galacia on the northwest coast of Spain. Refreshingly crisp and dry it has apple, pear and citrus flavors. The wine also has a “seashell minerality” meaning that it evokes thoughts of the seashore with a tiny bit of salt and minerals shining through the complexity of the wine. It is super easy to sip on a sunny summer’s day and makes an excellent aperitif.
Albariño is not an expensive wine and a bottle can be found for $20 or less. That leaves plenty of extra dollars to invest in some very fine seafood for grilling. One of the most popular pairings with Albariño is octopus. I have not had the pleasure of finding these multi-armed creatures in my inland grocery so unless you live on the coast you may enjoy this pairing a bit more…
Potted Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
Makes 6 servings
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons champagne (or sparkling wine)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- good grind of pink peppercorns
- ¼ cup very finely chopped red bell pepper
- 2 green onions, white part only, chopped very fine
- 8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
- 10 ounces butter, melted
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Toasted baguette rounds or toasted rounds of Irish Brown Bread for serving
Place lemon juice, champagne and shallot in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Heat the juice mixture over medium heat until simmering. Turn off heat and add the cayenne pepper, salt and good grind of pink peppercorns. Set aside.
Prepare melted butter for the top of the potted crab: Melt butter. When it is foaming, remove from the heat. When the foam has died down, carefully skim off any milky residue that is on the surface with a teaspoon. Set aside.
Add red bell pepper, green onions and crabmeat to the lemon juice mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture into 6 individual ramekins and tamp down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Remove from refrigerator and pour butter evenly over the crabmeat mixture in each ramekin. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to chill at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Bring to room temperature for serving. Serve with toasted baguette rounds or toasted rounds of Irish Brown Bread with lemon wedges to squeeze over each bite and a cold glass of Albariño.
If you are more in the mood for just a simple tapa then Albariño is the perfect pairing choice. One of my favorite tapas is olives and slices of chorizo sausage. The most delicious olives are the Ybarra olives, pimiento stuffed Manzanilla Sevillana (Spanish) olives. These olives are slightly smoky and pleasantly mild. Fabulous in a martini too! Purchase on-line from Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli: info@caputosdeli.com
Here’s a link to some tasty Albariño wine recommendations from James the Wine Guy, one of my favorite wine bloggers: https://jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/may-2018-albarino-tasting-james-melendez/
Here are a couple of my Albariño suggestions. Available on-line and the Lugar d Cervera is available locally at Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar.
Lugar d Cervera Albariño
Always say yes to a glass of this lovely wine. At $15.99 per bottle it is the perfect summer sippin’ wine. The 2016 vintage has a lovely pale lemon color with lush fresh ripe apple, quince and peach flavors with a pleasant crisp acidity in the finish. I love this wine!
Mar de Frades Albariño Atlántico
The 2017 vintage sits in a beautiful sea blue bottle. The wine has a pale lemon color, bright with notes of lychees and Blanquilla pears.
Pagos del Rey Pulpo Albariño
I love this wine label! It’s an octopus! The 2016 vintage has aromas of white flowers, hints of peaches and apricots resulting in a fresh, fruity palate.
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @bubblybeeboop.
