Wine & Spirits - June 2020 - 22

Ma in e
L obst e r
Ro ll s
The 2020 Retailer
Challenge

GREG NORTON
Bier Cellar

HIS IDEAL LOBSTER ROLL
AND WHERE TO GET IT:

"I honestly wasn't a fan of
lobster growing up, but when
I first had the Brown Butter
Lobster Roll at Eventide, I was
converted. With the brown
butter and the steamed
bun, it's different, and one of
those new takes, but it really
lets the lobster shine."

Domaine de la Louvetrie
2018 Muscadet Sèvre-etMaine Sur Lie, $15

Craft + Estate/
Winebow Imports, NY
"When I think seafood, I
think Muscadet. This is a
great example-vibrant, racy
and zesty. It tastes a bit
like the ocean that
gave us the delicious treat
of the lobster."

BEST PAIRINGS

by RACHEL DELROCCO
TERRAZAS
"It's in Ogunquit, a little village on the
southern Maine coast, about a half
hour south of Portland. There's a place
in Perkins Cove, a fishing community;
it's called the Lobster Shack. They're
on the third generation of owners and
they get lobster off the boat twenty
feet from their restaurant. Their lobster roll with their coleslaw. It rocks."
John McLoughlin heads there in
summer when he can sneak away from
Bow Street Beverage, his wine shop in
Portland. It's worth the trip for what
he deems the quintessential Maine
lobster roll-chunks of fresh lobster
meat on a toasted bun with a touch of
mayonnaise and a quick turn of black
pepper. "Chilled," he corrects. "Not
cold. Not hot. Chilled."
We wish we could join him there for
the Wine & Spirits Retailer Challenge
in Portland this year. We'd contacted
five local retailers, planning to gather
them around an array of lobster rolls,
and have them bring their best bottles
to pop-all under $20. That was until
we all got hit with stay-at-home orders.
So, we're offering some DIY alternatives, until you can once again plan
your summer vacation in Maine.
Staci Best of Portland's Browne
Trading Company is a fan of the homemade version: "Fresh lobster meat,
some half-sliced lemons charred on
the grill and a tiny bit of fresh tarragon added to your mayo mix. After the
rolls are buttered and grilled, squeeze
the seared lemon over the top."
Ready for summer? I know exactly
where I'm headed the first opportunity I get. As McLoughlin said, "We'll
be back up and running. We Maine
people, as we like to say, we're wicked
rugged."

Oyster River Winegrowers
2019 Maine Morphos
Pét-Nat, $17
"A beautiful pét-nat from
Maine winemaker Brian
Smith. The carbonation and
the acidity of this wine cut
through the butter and bring
the lobster to another level."

JOHN
MCLOUGHLIN
Bow Street Beverage

HIS IDEAL LOBSTER ROLL
AND WHERE TO GET IT:

"It's fresh-picked lobster,
chilled, on a top-split hotdog bun-not a side-split-
toasted on either side.
Because lobster meat is
very sweet, the mayonnaise
should be very light, as a
binder. You can feel free
to put pepper on it but you
don't need salt. It's at the
Lobster Shack in Ogunquit,
south of Portland."
BEST PAIRINGS

Nortico 2018 Minho
Alvarinho, $15

Olé & Obrigado Imports,
New Rochelle, NY
"It has bright citrus notes,
crisp acidity and hints of
saline and spring flowers.
Coastal Portugal is not unlike
coastal Maine-there's nothing but seafood. Any kind of
briny, rich fish or crustacean
is going to go well with that
salinity and really delicate
fruit; you don't want anything
to overwhelm the lobster."

Domaine Marcel Lapierre
2018 Beaujolais Château
Cambon Rosé, $15

Savio Soares Selections, NY
"It's bright and fresh, with
pronounced acidity with
hints of strawberry and raspberry. If someone doesn't
like white wine, I think rosé is
a perfectly appropriate wine
for seafood. It's a little round
and has bright fruit that isn't
going to overpower the dish.
It adds a little bit of weight."
Wine & Spirits - June 2020

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