3 White Wines That Take Shrimp Scampi To The Next Level

It's no wonder shrimp scampi remains an endlessly popular dish — it's as delicious as it is quick and easy to make. In about half an hour, you can whip up a shrimp scampi just like the one at Olive Garden, maybe better. In addition to the star player (shrimp), these simple, reliably mouthwatering ingredients include butter, lemon juice, white wine, and any number of extras that you decide to add in. Plus, the whole dish is often heaped over satisfying pasta. It's briny-sweet, rich, carby, bright, acidic, and spicy all at once. However, that dreamy balance of flavors hinges on knowing the right types of ingredients to use, and the one mystery can sometimes be that white wine. When a recipe calls for white wine, it can be difficult to know which of the hundreds of specific white wine options is best. So, we asked an expert for advice.

"Choose a dry white wine that complements the dish without overpowering it," says Russell Kook, chef at The Bellevue in Chicago, Illinois. He recommends three varieties in particular: "Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio are excellent options because their acidity brightens the flavors of the shrimp and garlic." Offering some additional advice, the chef notes that it's important to "avoid sweet wines as they can throw off the balance of the dish."

In general, white wines are a wonderful addition to any recipe for the balance and complexity they bring. They temper creaminess, fattiness, and richness. We are always looking for ways to cook with white wine, and shrimp scampi is one of the tastiest, exemplifying why chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigios are some of the best white wines used in cooking. 

All three possess that acidic quality to play against butter, olive oil, and sweet shrimp in the scampi, while also working with the lemon juice to highlight that citrus alongside the heat of garlic and red pepper. In addition to its own citrus notes, sauvignon blanc can exhibit grassiness and bell pepper, which further complement the scampi's sweetness, spice, and richness. Chardonnay adds its own butteriness to the table alongside citrus that cuts it, while pinot grigio contributes not only citrus but also minerality and spice.

Because they are complex yet dry (and easy to drink), these wines are versatile for cooking and dependable for perfect shrimp scampi, unlike sweeter wines, as Kook mentions. Some rieslings along with gewürztraminer and moscato would introduce competing sweetness to the shrimp, and with creamy butter, your scampi could lean heavy and cloying without enough balance. Thanks to the comparatively more understated profiles of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio, you can use them as a base and get inventive from there, from making shrimp scampi spicy to cooking it up with scallops.