White · 2024
Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde
Aveleda
Vinho Verde · Portugal
View →Seafood
Crab
A fresh but gently rounded white to accompany the natural sweetness and finesse of crab.
The pairing
Why it
works.
Crab meat is delicate, saline and naturally slightly sweet. The pairing works particularly well with fresh white wines that have enough fruit and roundness to accompany that sweetness without masking the crustacean’s finesse.
Served simply with lemon, crab calls for more tension and minerality. With butter, mayonnaise or a creamier preparation, a slightly fuller white becomes interesting. Dry sparkling wines remain an excellent option to provide contrast.
In practice
With crab, look for a balance between freshness and sweetness. The wine should have enough acidity to keep the pairing lively, but not so much that it feels thin against the tender, slightly sweet flesh of the crustacean.
In the glass
What to
look for.
Fresh, lightly oaked Chardonnay01
Dry Chenin Blanc02
Dry Riesling03
Mineral, delicate white04
Fine, dry sparkling wines05
The LPV selection
Four bottles
for this dish.
A selection chosen from our bottle library based on their profile and affinity with this dish.
What to avoid
Tannic reds, very oaky whites and wines that are particularly powerful or high in alcohol. The crab’s delicate flesh would quickly be overwhelmed by them.
When serving
Serve the white around 9–11 °C. With buttered crab, allow it to warm slightly in the glass to bring out more of its texture.