Made an overnight trip last week and coming home I realized it was getting late and there was nothing for dinner. I stopped at a local market that was four blocks off the interstate and since it was still the holiday season they had live Dungeness crabs in a tank. I adopted one for a brief period of time.
After settling back in the house I threw a bottle of Mumm Napa Rose sparkling wine in the fridge and threw a potato in the small oven to bake. I also had enough lettuce for a small salad. The dogs weren't quite sure what to make of live food in the house and the crab was certainly a lively one even though the claws were restrained in rubber bands. When the potato was nearly done we put the beast in a bamboo steamer and waited for twelve minutes.
The wine was a neon pink color in the glass and the bubbles were going full bore. Lots of strawberry and cherry aromas with a touch of yeast to add some complexity to the nose. Sweet, fruity taste of ripe strawberries and raspberries, with good acid and a nice mouth feel. Sadly this wine seemed less focused than some of the previous California bubblies I've drunk lately. I felt the wine was just a touch sweet for a "brut."
When the crab was ready, we cut open the potato only to find the inside nearly rotten and still hard. It went into the garbage so we ate crab and salad for dinner. The crab was sweet and earthy at the same time. It was dipped in some melted butter with Meyer lemon juice added. The wine certainly cleaned the palate with it's acidity after a bite of crab, but the sweetness was still there. Not the best match in the world, and since there is a bottle of Mumm Napa regular brut in the cellar I decided it was the wrong decision to go pink with the crab.
Good wine, and if one likes a less dry sparkling wine it would be much more appreciated. 12.5% alcohol and $16.
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