Bisque

Bisque

Assuming a lobster, crab or langoustine bisque made from roasted shells and finished with cream and brandy.

Bisque is richer and more roasted than the shellfish it is made from, with toasty depth from the shells, cream for body and a warm note of brandy. The wine needs acid to cut the cream and a nutty or bready depth to meet the roasted shells. Oak and tannin turn metallic against the shellfish.

Pairs Perfectly

Amontillado Sherry, Jerez, Spain. Dry and nutty with a salty edge, it meets the roasted shells and the brandy directly while its acid cuts the cream. Many cooks stir sherry into the bisque itself, which is why the match feels so natural.

Pairs Well

Champagne Blanc de Noirs, France. Made from black grapes, it has the body and bready depth to stand up to the soup, and its bubbles lift the cream.

Chardonnay, unoaked, Chile or southern France. Round, ripe fruit and no oak suit the creamy texture, and it costs little and sits on most shelves.

Worth Seeking Out

Sercial Madeira, Portugal. The driest style of Madeira, with sharp acid, salt and a walnut note, it is a traditional glass beside a shellfish soup.

Avoid

Oaked, buttery Chardonnay and red wines with tannin. Very light, lean whites, which the cream and roasted shells make taste thin.

Failing That

A Fino Sherry, Jerez.

If All Else Fails

Soave, Veneto.

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