Picpoul Blanc

Bouillabaisse is a complex Provençal seafood stew featuring various fish and shellfish in a rich broth flavored with saffron, fennel, garlic, orange zest, and olive oil. The wine pairings complement the dish's richness while offering enough acidity to cut through the intensity, while the beer options provide refreshing carbonation and subtle herbal notes that enhance the aromatic elements of the stew.

Fried calamari offers a delicate seafood flavor encased in a crispy, savory coating that calls for beverages with bright acidity and effervescence to cut through the richness of the frying oil. Crisp, mineral-forward white wines refresh the palate between bites, while light, carbonated beer styles with subtle citrus notes complement the dish without overwhelming its delicate flavors.

The bright citrus notes and fresh herbs in this shrimp dish call for crisp, acidic white wines that can complement the delicate seafood flavor while matching the lemon's acidity. Similarly, light, refreshing beers with subtle citrus notes and moderate carbonation will cleanse the palate without overwhelming the dish's nuanced flavors.

Niçoise salad is a classic Mediterranean dish featuring fresh tuna, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, and green beans, dressed with a light vinaigrette. The bright acidity and moderate body of the recommended wines complement the salty olives and rich tuna, while the suggested beer styles offer refreshing carbonation and subtle citrus notes that enhance the salad's fresh components.

Olives offer a distinctive briny, tangy profile with varying intensities depending on variety and preparation. Their natural acidity and saltiness call for crisp, refreshing beverages that can either complement the brininess or provide contrast to the olive's robust flavors.

Seafood salad typically features a bright, clean profile with briny shellfish, zesty citrus, and fresh herbs that call for crisp, mineral-driven beverages. The light, acidic whites enhance the seafood's delicate flavors while cutting through any richness from olive oil or mayonnaise dressing, while the recommended beers offer refreshing carbonation and subtle complexity without overwhelming the dish.

Seafood salads typically feature delicate shellfish flavors with bright citrus and fresh herb notes that call for crisp, refreshing beverages. The mineral qualities and citrus notes in these wine selections enhance the brininess of the seafood while complementing the salad's acidity, while the beer options provide refreshing carbonation and subtle flavor complexity without overwhelming the dish.

Picpoul (which literally means 'lip-stinger' in French) lives up to its name in this electric offering from Two Shepherds. This rare Rhône variety is seldom seen in California, but winemaker William Allen has a knack for championing the underdogs of the wine world. This isn't your standard-issue California white – there's no oak, no butter, no heaviness, just pure, zippy refreshment that could wake the dead. It's the vinous equivalent of jumping into a cold mountain stream on a hot day. Two Shepherds' minimal intervention approach lets the grape's natural acidity and mineral character shine through, creating a wine that seafood practically jumps onto the plate to meet.