Calling All Wine Lovers

Friends, we are a mere 12 days from Crabfest. The shirts have arrived, the catering order has been placed (serve ware and table linens, not food), the menu is set, the grocery list is made, the crab count is in, the babysitting arrangements are in place, and the appetites are whetted! Two days prior to crabfest, I will prepare the granita and some of the sauces. The day before Kate and I will purchase the ingredients, set the table, and post the recipes on the recipe board. On January 03, I will rise bright and early because Mary will leave me no choice. But, since I'm up, I'll begin the kitchen preparations. I'll send RLT out for ice and coffee. After that, it's all about the crab and the company. We will be poised to cook, eat, drink, and be merry....

Something is missing! A stone left unturned! A spreadsheet not yet created! The wine pairings, people! Who can help me with this? I turn now to a discussion of each course and challenge you, my fellow crabbies, epicureans, and sippers of the grape to generate some answers.

With the exception of the wonton cups, the appetizers have an element of spice (e.g. horseradish, Tobasco, spicy peanut sauce) The wonton cups will have a hint of lime, but will have a more neutral taste. In the past we paired a spicy crab dip with a dry Riesling, didn't we? Mmm.. that was good. Please submit suggestions for the appetizer course in the comments.

The wine choice for the the salad course, Dungeness Crab Salad with Spiced Lime Curd, should be easier, but has the additional challenge of progressing from the first wine. The lime curd will be citrusy, a little sweet, but also peppery. The frisee will have a bitter quality. Suggestions?

Ah, the cioppino. Garlic, tomatoes, parsley, clams, herbs, perhaps a red or green pepper.... I almost want to go with water so that nothing stands in the way of this dish. Fortunately we will have ample San Francisco sour dough bread to neutralize the palate (and sop up the juices) should any disastrous pairing occur. Exercise caution and make a suggestion please.

Finally, the Thai Garlic Crab will carry a slight essence of summer with it's gingerly grilled flavor. Underlying the initial Eau du grille, will come pungent samples of cilantro, coconut milk, lime, lemongrass, and basil. Maybe we can just drink the marinade. The crab flavor will dominate this dish despite the array of flavors infusing it. One still has the option of making a nice mound of crab and dousing it with lemon or butter (and then simply licking the shells!) What wine can be the maestro to this orchestra of goodness?

This is no time to be silent, shy, or unopinionated (except for you, Mike... but then again remember that Kate's total happiness is on the line here... you might want to ask others and submit a suggestion.) Paul, Dad, and Kate... put all those years of wine study to use! Heather, what are you serving with your cioppino? If you drink what your guests bring, what did they bring and how did you like it?

Perhaps we could each take a course and choose the wine, unveiling our choices on the day of the event? We could taste them blind and guess what they are! Suggesting this leads me to believe that I might be more competitive than I realize, as I also suggested the Crabfest V Dip Off. Regardless of how the wines are chosen, I will make it a point this year to write down what we drink and consider the quality of the match. After all, crab will never change and it will most likely be adorned with lemon, lime, butter, herbs and spices in the future. In that future I want to sniff, swirl, swish, and swallow more confidently.