Anthony Gismondi: Perfect wine for spot prawn season is from B.C.

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If the spot prawn harvest isn’t underway on the coast as you read this, the start is mere hours or days away. Typically, the commercial season lasts six to eight weeks, opening in early May and ending mid to late June, depending on the abundance of the year’s crop.

The prawns are sustainably caught and hand-selected from baited traps that sit anywhere from 40 to 100 meters below sea level along our rocky coast, and close to 90 per cent of that catch is frozen at sea and shipped to Japan and the rest of Asia. The good news for locals is a portion of the catch is set aside fresh to be consumed in area restaurants and kitchens in season, joining the likes of halibut, salmon, strawberries and blueberries that come and go from our seasonal diets.

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Spot prawns are known worldwide for their sweet, delicate flavour and firm texture. The mostly finger-length shrimp is easily recognized for its reddish-brown colour that turns bright pink when cooked, telltale white spots on its tail, and horizontal white bars on the carapace. It is not just its colourful shell that makes wild B.C. spot prawns quirky. They also happen to be hermaphrodites, spending the first two years of their lives as males before transforming into females for about the same period. If that has you marvelling at the life of a spot prawn, you can also ponder how it can be so delicate in nature and flavour yet so firm in texture.

If you are keen to cook them at home, keep in mind less is more when it comes to this type of prawn, and it matters not whether you choose to pour boiling water over a small handful of prawn tails or you sauté whole prawns for about 30 seconds with olive oil, sliced garlic, butter, zest and juice of lemons. Your wine strategy should be similar: keep your picks fresh, be they white or, in some cases, a rosé with just enough residual sugar to take on a bit of spiciness in your dish.

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So, what’s the wine connection? If we have learned anything from the rest of the world, the most helpful wine-pairing rule is that what grows together usually goes together. So, forget that Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc or that French Chablis and think about the many white wines and rosés made here in B.C. The key to the match is the high level of acidity in B.C. wines.

What follows are some suggested pairings with spot prawns you might consider ordering whether you are dining out or eating at home. The Hester Creek Trebbiano, $24, first planted in 1968, is a unique dry white whose crunchy orchard fruit flavours have that subtle sweetness that matches the sweetness of the prawns.

The Terravista Albariño, at $31, is a mouthwatering white, rich in juicy grapefruit and lime, that scours your palate clean for the next hit of flavours from any spot prawn creations. The Corcelettes Oracle Rosé, $24.90, is the perfect match for sautéed spot prawns pitching mild raspberries, guava, and pear streaked with mineral wet stones that won’t overpower a properly prepared dish.

Another local pairing that could be pure fun is the Unsworth Vineyards Petit Milo, $23, with its ripe pears, peaches, and candied citrus in a relatively skinny package streaked with almonds and minerals paired with spot prawns harvested a stone’s throw from the vineyard in the Salish Sea.

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Chenin Blanc is another option, and the selection in B.C., while small, is impressive. Producers to look for include Quails’ Gate, Da Silva, and Road 13. Pinot Blanc is another road less travelled. St. Hubertus, Lunessence, Blue Mountain Estate Cuvée, Clos du Soleil, Narrative, and Hester Creek make tasty versions.

No matter which wines are your jam, enjoy the wild B.C. spot prawns because, like most other local treats that happen once a year, the season will be over before you know it.

Weekend wine picks

Undurraga Sibaris Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2022, Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Chile

$19.99 I 88/100

UPC: 7804315002024

This Leyda Valley gets a lot of kudos for its cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc, but the Pinot Noir has been moving forward slowly but surely in the background. Expect an earthy palate of mushrooms and sour cherries, with a hint of five spice in the finish. It’s fresh at 13.5 per cent; you can drink this now, and at $19.99, it is good value.

The Ned Pinot Noir 2020, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand

$24.99 I 88/100

UPC: 853076003075

The Ned is a snappy name for a snappy Marlborough Pinot with a modest price tag. The secret sauce in Marlborough is the long, cool growing season that allows the fruit to hang on the vine, achieving optimal ripeness without packing on the alcohol. Look for a mix of florals, wild strawberries, and silky Pinot textures with a spicy, earthy finish — fresh, juicy, and fun to drink now. The fruit is ripe, concentrated, and well-defined, led by bright dark berries, but with depth and a hint of spice and earth to add complexity. Pair with smoked salmon and cream cheese appetizers.

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Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir 2020, California

$25.99 I 88/100

UPC: 083722023489

This Pinot Noir comes from coastal California vineyards, including Arroyo Seco, Santa Maria Valley, and Monterey. The cooler sites help the acidity levels that keep the wine fresh. It’s aged eight months in French and American oak (only four per cent is new), adding some vanilla but mostly helping to expand the soft, round, earthy, cran-cherry fruit with a dash of spice. Ready to drink with simple foods, like a pulled pork sandwich. The fruit is 47 per cent Sonoma coast, 44 per cent central coast, and 9 per cent Mendocino County.

La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2022, Monterey County, Central Coast, California,

$32.99 I 90/100

UPC: 049331010968

La Crema continues to elevate its Monterey Pinot Noir by doing a diligent job of expressing the character of its AVAs. 2022 has just the right amount of sweet strawberry to counterbalance the red florals and cool, red plum-rhubarb on the mid-palate. It was a wet spring and a regular growing season before a warm fall culminated in slightly lower yields. It aged eight months in new and used French oak barrels. Ready to drink and an excellent match for a sweet soya poke, salmon steaks, or duck pizza.

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Erath Pinot Noir Estate Selection 2018, Willamette Valley, Oregon

$49.99 I 91/100

UPC: 084687001192

Pinot Noir is all about texture for me, and this Estate Selection is silky and smooth, which is difficult to resist. Despite many climate challenges, including temperatures 8 to 10 degrees above normal and one of the lowest years on record for precipitation, a cool September righted the ship, bringing home one of the best years in recent history. The clones Pommard, 777, Coury, and Wadenswil come off numerous sites within the Willamette Valley and spend 15 months in French oak, of which 27 per cent is new. The nose is a sophisticated mix of berries, and the palate is a riot of Bing cherries and black plums with a sweet dressing of leather and musky spice, all playing second fiddle to seamlessly soft textures that run long into the finish. Think duck, roast beef, lamb, mushroom dishes, or a favourite grilled salmon recipe.

Calendar items

If you are Okanagan-bound this month, The Restaurant at Liquidity Wines returns with Chef Josh Mueller behind the pans. The three-course $75 wine-inspired lunch — and early afternoon — includes a selection of starter dishes, spring entrées, and desserts with wine. If you don’t have time to linger, they offer two tasting experiences: Taste the Terroir 27 features four wines, while The Art of Food and Wine $45 features four bite-sized canapés matched to four wines.

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•••

If you are Whistler-bound this spring, the season for savings is back. Culinary director chef Angus An’s Mekong Thai prix-fixe menu is back priced at $38 per person and will be available seven days a week. In addition to the prix-fixe items, a selection of popular à la carte dishes to share will be available for dine-in. Mekong’s takeout-only menu will also remain available for a satisfying meal at home after a day of spring adventure.

B.C. wine of the week

Tantalus Pinot Noir 2021, Okanagan Valley

$35.99 I 91/100

UPC: 626990067399

I’m surprised this wine is still available, but the good news is it has added two full years of bottle age to its charm. Expect dry, earthy aromas overflowing with Bing cherry and mushroom that dance across the palate. The persistent finish is marked with baking spices dusted in minerality for complexity. Clones 114, 115, 667, 777, 828, 37, and 943 from the estate and neighbouring blocks are handpicked and vinified in small lot wild fermentations. There were no pumpovers or punch downs, just some gentle foot-treading. It is aged in oak barriques (20 per cent new) for 11 months. Ultimately, this wine evaded the heat dome, the wildfire smoke, and a small yield to give us something delicious to drink or hold, all at 13.4 per cent alcohol.

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Value wine of the week

Frescobaldi Tenuta di Calamaia Vino Nobile de Montepulciano 2019, Tuscany, Italy

$19.99 I 90/100

UPC: 08007425002451

The Tenuta Calimaia project marks the return of the Frescobaldis to Montepulciano in the name of Lionardo Di Niccolò Frescobaldi, explorer, writer, and merchant who became mayor of Montepulciano in 1390. The 70-hectare site lies between the rolling hills of Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia, in the Cervognanoan area historically dedicated to the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Its clay soils and higher temperatures make a richer, full-bodied 14.5 per cent Sangiovese, or prugnolo entile, in the local dialect. It is deliciously styled, spending two years in 50-hL oak barrels and another four months in bottles before release. Cherries and dried herbs with a smear of dark chocolate give the wine a smooth, rich demeanour that slides down easily. There is some tannin, and it will age for another three to five years with ease, but you can also drink it now. This is a bargain.

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