When I was a kid and school let out for the summer, my parents would load my sisters and me into our giant station wagon and we’d journey to our cabin on Samish Island.
Back in the ’70s, Samish was a quiet island with true, authentic cabins lining the shore and more than a few hippie havens with VW vans parked in overgrown lots. Our cabin was no exception; it was a place where my sisters and I could track in all the sand and seaweed we wanted because it meant we were playing outside doing kid stuff.
It was those summers on Samish that I developed my love for seafood. My specialty was digging on the beach as the tide went out, in search of baby clams. I would spend hours foraging for those succulent treasures, reaching my hands into the soupy, dark sand until I had a bucket full. After gently being steamed open, I would gorge myself on these chewy delicacies until my chin and cheeks were glossy with butter.
In addition to clams, I also developed a taste for oysters because Blaus Oyster Company was just a bike ride away. My favorite way to enjoy oysters hasn’t changed from my summers on Samish — cooked on a grill, in the shell and released into a pool of garlicky butter once they steamed open and could be shucked. As a kid, an oyster can look like the last thing you’d ever want to eat — Cindy wouldn’t get near one — but I savored the taste of the sea in my mouth, and I love butter.
The crowning jewel of those long, endless summers, however, was catching Dungeness crab, especially when my dad let me steer our little skiff. I never declined an invitation to head out on the water with him in search of our pots — I was as happy as a dog with its head hanging out a car window as I guided our small craft toward our catch.
All of this talk about seafood brings me to the crux of this month’s article: wine and seafood. While I am not a stickler for drinking mostly red in winter and white in summer, I do try to match my wine consumption with what I’m eating.
The following selection is wines I purchased solely with seafood in mind, wines that will do your fresh catch justice. I purchased all the wines from Seifert & Jones and Seifert graciously obliged when I requested off-the-beaten-path wines.
For fish tacos, halibut and shellfish, I highly recommend the 2021 Mayu Pedro Ximenz from Vincuña, Chile ($14.99). It is an incredibly diverse wine capable of holding its own when served with seafood marinated in cilantro, jalapeno and fresh-squeezed lime juice. And if you dig garlicky steamed clams or mussels, the Mayu has your back.
For any kind of salmon, the 2023 Brotte Esprit Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé ($14.99) is a no-brainer. This elegant blend of mostly grenache and syrah has a smooth, creamy texture and will only enhance your favorite salmon dish. Be sure to look for an intriguing hint of Rainier cherries that perfectly complement the delicate sweetness of salmon. The Brotte can take on a spicy rub, too, because of the sweet cherry notes.
For crab, make sure you get a bottle of the 2023 Dominio de las Abejas from Mexico ($29.99) — a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard, Marsanne and Viognier. Although not orange in color, this is an orange wine and made to those specifications. I like this with crab because of the subtle ripe stone-fruit notes and how those accentuate the salty-briny flavors of crab. The wine also carries enough weight and acidity to go well with hot crab dip and crab cakes.
Lastly, my pick for oysters — raw, grilled or fried — is the 2022 Txakolina Katxiña from the Basque region of Spain ($19.99). There is a vibrant fizz to the Katxiña which sparkles in the glass and dances on your tongue. This, along with the lemony acids and salty sea breeze notes create a win-win when served with oysters.
I’m sure as a kid, I drank Orange Crush or Shasta Tiki punch with my fresh catch. Do yourself a favor, and try one of the above instead. Save the soda for s’mores.
Katie Bechkowiak owned Vinostrology wine bar in downtown Bellingham from 2013–19. If you have wine suggestions for her monthly column, contact vinostrology@gmail.com.
