At first I thought it was only PR puffery: pairing Muscadet with Boston’s traditional clam chowder (often pronounced clam chowda’ around here). But in fact, it’s a brilliant match as a recent tasting, presided over by François Gauthier, the Consul Général de France à Boston, showed. As Gauthier noted, the Consul is empowered to perform marriages, so he was extending the special relationship the French and Americans share by ‘marrying’ Ms. Clam Chowder and Mr. Muscadet.
It’s hard to match wine with soups. But thick and creamy clam chowder is more stew-like and sometimes serves as a meal in itself. You need a wine that’s crisp and fresh, but not sophisticated because clam chowder’s a simple, casual dish and the peppery or slightly spicy touch that’s often present will fight with more complex wines.
The crisp, refreshing acidity of Muscadet cuts the creamy richness of clam chowder and is a foil for the slight peppery bite. For the same reasons, Muscadet would probably work well with another soup-come-main course, oyster stew or lobster bisque. I hope Paul and Marguerite, my colleagues here at WRO, do their usual thoughtful and extensive trials to see if other wines fit the bill or are even better.
In the meantime, consumers can sample the pairing on their own at any Legal Seafood restaurant around the country. Sandy Block, Legal’s Vice President for Beverages, notes they are serving a glass of the 2005 Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, one of the best examples of that category I have tasted, and clam chowder for $9.
Another advantage of Muscadet is its versatility. It works when a group is having a diverse variety of appetizers-raw oysters, clams, fried calamari or crab cakes-while others are opting for chowder or oyster stew. And you can often continue with the bottle if your main course is shellfish or a delicate fish. The 2005 Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie is a great buy on Legal’s wine list at $24 a bottle.
Mr. Muscadet has found a good wife with Ms. Clam Chowder, but it’s likely there will be mistresses as well.
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