In the Coastal Carolinas, crab fishing season typically runs from May to October, as crabs are more active once Intracoastal waters hit 70 to 75 F. That means it’s peak crab season here in North Carolina, and we’re ready to pair our fresh crab with some wine. If you’re looking to do the same, keep reading!
A good wine pairing starts with the ingredients you are pairing the wine with, so the first step in pairing wine with crab is procuring your crabs! In this blog, we’ll show you how it’s done. If you don’t want the procure the crabs yourself and are sourcing them from a fishmonger, grocery store, or at a restaurant, skip on down to our delicious wine pairings! Our wine suggestions work equally well with crab you caught yourself or crab you’re buying from someone else.
Before we go catching those crabs, though, a quick note on the KnowWines blog: We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, our podcast, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!
How to Catch a Crab
We’ve purchased a crab license and some pots for the second year in a row, allowing us to try crab prepared in different ways so that we can enjoy them with different wines.
First of all, you should know that fishing for crabs is not intimidating. In fact, it’s a great sport to try for beginner anglers. Many people don’t know that recreational fishermen and women can catch crabs. In North Carolina, for example, one can catch crabs such as blue crab using several means, as described here by Tia Clark:
Here are some of the tools Tia mentions:
Collapsible crab pot with an entry hole less than 19”:
With a string crab throw line, like this one:
You can also use a solid pot to catch crabs.
However, these pots are bulky, so it may be best to purchase them in person at coastal retailers. These also require a license.
Do I Need a License to Catch Crabs?
With or without a license, all anglers need to abide by the recreational harvest limit for crabs.
In North Carolina, you don’t need a license for crab fishing if you meet the following conditions:
You’re lucky enough to own a pier with private access only (limit one pot).
You catch crabs with chicken necks or legs.
Be sure to do your reading & research on the local guidelines for recreational crab fishing in your area!
Where to Buy Crabs
If you are not able to catch your own crabs, you can purchase them at various seafood stores and grocery stores. If you’re not sure how to select the best crabs, don’t be afraid to ask the fishmonger or person at the seafood counter for help.
How do I know if the crab I’m buying is fresh?
Ask to smell a crab! We promise, this is normal crab-buying behavior. A fresh crab should smell sweet and briny, not strong or fishy or sour. No matter how great your wine is, it won’t pair well with old crabs!
What Wines Pair With Crab?
When working with fresh crab, I remember the advice of Evan Goldstein, author of Perfect Pairings: “Think of the acid in wines as the gastronomic equivalent of the yellow highlighter pen. The quick swoosh of the highlighter makes the words on a page stand out. A wine’s acidity can mimic this phenomenon with food by bringing out the essence of an ingredient’s flavor.” We love this metaphor as a means of explaining how wine and food can complement one another.
In a nutshell, you can pair any wine - including red wines - with crab. About the only wines we would avoid pairing with crab are red wines that are very full-bodied and have intense flavors, such as Shiraz and Zinfandel. Also, steer clear of oaky wines when you’re eating crab. As Karen MacNeil, author of Wine Bible, states “It’s hard to taste the ocean if all you can smell is the lumberyard”. (And if you haven’t checked out Wine Bible yet, you should! And don’t forget these great reads by other female wine writers!).
So, while there are a few types of wine to avoid when pairing wine with crab, there’s also lots of room for fun and great flavors. We share our favorite pairings below, and we encourage you to give them a try. But don’t be too worried about making a mistake - the best part about wine pairings is that if you do make some mistakes, it means you are trying different things and being innovative!
Wines to Pair With Steamed Crab Legs
As we mentioned earlier, fresh crab should have a sweet smell and flavor. The first wine that comes to mind for pairing with steamed crab legs is Riesling. The high acidity will highlight the fresh taste of the steamed crab legs. You also have the flexibility to choose a dry or semi-dry styled Riesling, as either selection has high acidity.
Wines to Pair With Stone Crabs
My favorite aspect of a stone crab is that the crab lives after harvesting one arm. It can take up to one year for a stone crab to grow back a harvested leg. These creatures sure are wild, and they taste delicious!
We recommend a sparkling wine or Champagne to celebrate this beautiful, renewable resource (and hide our restaurant bill from our frugal friends!).
Wines to Pair With Soft Shelled Crabs or Crab Cakes
With fried crab preparations, there are several great wine pairing options. One could go with Sauvignon Blanc or a not-too-oaky Chardonnay. Viogner—with a hint of honeysuckle—can be a fun pairing with lightly fried and battered crab.
Wines to Pair with Crab Dip
Crab dips typically have some spice along with heavy mouthfeel. Since there are so many different crab dip recipes, it can be a little challenging to pair a wine with crab dip. As such, our suggestion would be to pair an easy-going Gruner Veltliner or my standby Riesling with a crab dip. Red wine lover? You might enjoy a Pinot Noir or a cool-climate Merlot from Chile.
Wines to Pair with Crab Alfredo or Crab Ravioli
Crab Alfredo and/or crab ravioli both have a heavier mouthfeel than many other crab dishes. With these dishes, we suggest a white wine with more richness and perfume from the Northern Rhone. These wines can be a blend of one or more white grape variety which may include: Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Viognier, or Picpoul.
Wines to Pair with Dungeness Crabs
Prefer these west coast crabs? Sparkling wine, Champagne, a dry Gewurztraminer, or Albarino would be our top picks. If you like to drink a wine that is not white, try steamed Dungeness crab with Rosé or Gamay (Beaujolais or domestic Gamay).
Wines to Pair With a Crab Boil
Crab boils are typically spicy—seasoned with red pepper flakes and perhaps hot sausage. The spicy heat of the dish makes semi-dry or sweet Riesling a good choice. Other options include the sparkling wines Prosecco or Cava.
Wines to Pair With Crab Rangoon
One typically isn’t sitting down to a meal of crab rangoon. Usually, this decadent dish is enjoyed with other spicy, fried, or flavorful appetizers. Again, with the warm spice—as in crab boil—semi-dry Riesling is a great choice.
Pairing Wine with Crab: Our Conclusion
Almost any wine will pair well with crab, except for wines with intense flavor, since these wines—like Shiraz and Zinfandel—can cover up the delicate flavors of crab.
How the crab is seasoned—which can be sparingly in the case of boiled crab legs, or abundantly in crab Alfredo—may influence the wine style that you might like with your crab.
Whichever crab dish and wine you choose, we hope you enjoy your meal of fresh seafood and perfectly paired wine!
Cheers!
