What's Pressoir cooking? Lobstah!

July 21, 2020
by Max Goldberg Liu

I am a firm believer in not getting too caught up in wine pairings but I often like “simple” dishes that act as more of a blank canvas for a wine to shine. For me, there is nothing better than a simple roast chicken alongside a red Burgundy.

Vacation on Cape Cod last week gave me the opportunity to enjoy another favorite - lobster!

These were 1 1/4 lb specimens that we simply steamed for around 16 minutes. I’d much rather have two of these than a 2.5 pounder (I find the meat gets a little tough past two pounds). Tastier and less expensive - it’s a win-win!

The first wine we opened at the table was a Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc “Au Bout du Monde” 2018. Climate change has rendered the Hautes Côtes in Burgundy much better at producing ripe grapes but was still a little lean for my taste with the lobster.

We usually think of Blanc de Blancs Champagne when pairing with shellfish. We had drank our last bottle of Pierre Péters Cuvée de Réserve before dinner so I decided to open a Pierre Gerbais Cuvée de Réserve (the same cuvée that is now called Grains de Celle). The 25% Pinot Blanc in the blend added a wonderful touch of fleshy white stone fruit that paired beautifully with the lobster.

While these lobsters were simply steamed, I think my other favorite preparation would have also paired really well with the Champagne - my father’s Cantonese-style stir-fried lobster with ginger and scallion. Next time!