[TN] '08 Tribut Chablis

Having spent the winter in Marco Island, I was totally spoiled by the fresh Gulf Pink's that we were able to buy right off the docks. I love the almost "crunchy" texture and the deep shrimpy flavor. I'm to the popint where I'd rather not eat shrimp if I can get wild caught gulf shrimp. I've seen the4 Tribut Chablis a few times but haven't ever tried a bottle.

We're with you, Bill, since we get down to Florida 2-3 times per year. Jean in fact won't eat shrimp that have been frozen as she feels that it ruins their texture (and I agree). These were some of the best we've had.

Mark Lipton

Had some Keys Pinks tonight. No wine though. Had lemon drop martinis instead.

I like my Martinis the traditional way....gin and vermouth! But I will take gulf pinks any way.

Shrimp trucks from Louisiana have long stopped in central areas of the country. I believe one that comes by my area is Fabian. If you buy the shrimp and use them at once, they often are decent. If they are strictly fresh, they will freeze quite well if you freeze them in ice and store them at below 0 degrees F. What gives frozen shrimp a bad name, is that supermarkets usually buy frozen shrimp coated with ice in blocks of several pounds. They then thaw the shrimp and put them on display. They may not be completely sold for up to a few days. Frozen shrimp lose quality very rapidly unless they are used at once after thawing - some people even start cooking them in a very large pot of boiling liquid without first thawing. There are many types of shrimp and related shellfish that range from tiny to nearly the size of small lobsters. Some become soft when cooked, while others become quite tough if overcooked just a bit. I prefer the Alaska spot shrimp to the gulf pink ones if both are of highest quality. I have had shrimp-like species from South America that taste closer to lobster than do most shrimps. I have had huge shrimp-like species from deep waters off Africa that are quite good, but seem to be extremely difficult to find in the US at the moment.

Of course the ideal would be to use live shrimp, and that was done in the past some. However live shrimp, unlike live lobsters, are nearly impossible to find in much of the US. Some oriental food markets do manage to get live crabs from time to time.