Pairings for Pincers

With all the care put toward finding crawfish at the right price and choosing the best vegetables to accompany your boil, you'd think folks would want to put a touch more effort toward what they drink with their scarlet mountains of mudbugs. 

Chris Poldoian, sommelier and General Manager/Director of Houston wine bar Camerata at Paulie's (and Wine Enthusiast's Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers of 2017) shares his thoughtful recommendations on the perfect pairings below:

Ramona Ruby Grapefruit Wine Spritz: "Ramona works as the perfect crawfish beverage for two reasons. First, it's delicious. This spritzy blend of Zibbibo (floral, fruity Muscat of Alexandria from Sicily) and organic grapefruit juice balances the citrusy tang with the fruitiness of the Zibbibo. The second reason: the convenience factor. Crawfish boils are often informal, messy affairs. If you're packed on a bar patio or in the driveway of a friend's house, the last thing you want to be messing with is a thin-stemmed wine glass. Ramona's eight-ounce can is the perfect vessel."

Albert Boxler Edelzwicker Reserve: "One of my favorite producers in the mountainous, mineral-rich vineyards of Alsace is Albert Boxler, a multi-generational winery whose plantings of Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Muscat are hand harvested, fermented with wild yeasts, and matured in foudres. What I love about Boxler's Noble Blend is the pure expression of fruit. This wine works like a condiment, with its shimmering fruit lacquering each bite of spicy food."

Theo Minges Scheurebe Feinherb: "Just across the German border from Alsace is the sunny region the Pfalz. Riesling from the Mosel may get most of the attention from Germany, but the Pfalz makes fantastic wines from Pinot varieties. We've had success with Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), which works double duty as a sparkler in Darting's Sekt and as a still wine with Rebholz. But for me, the real highlight from the region is Scheurebe, an offspring of Riesling, and the father-daughter team of Theo and Regine make one of the best examples of this variety. Lots of extroverted, tropical fruit. The trocken is delicious, but the Feinherb has a supple texture that works well with the Cajun crawfish."

Visit Poldoian at Camerata, within Paulie's Restaurant in Houston's Montrose neighborhood, or learn more at pauliesrestaurant.com/camerata.