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Wine and fish pairings should be pleasing to the eye, the nose and the palate. The visual appeal of a clear and bubbly champagne with crisp, freshly shucked oysters on ice, or the aroma from a rich hearty Cioppino mingling with aromatic cherries and wildflowers in a glass of Sangiovese rose can be stimulating.

While visual appeal is important, the context of the meal is equally critical. Halibut Provencal served by candlelight on fine china with a pressed, white tablecloth would be best served with a vintage Puligny-Montrachet Burgundy, while grilled fish served outside on the beach on a hot summer evening will cry out for a fresh bottle of zesty Pinot Gris.

Now that I have teased your palette with a few delectable menu ideas, allow me to present a list of suggested wine and food combinations that should serve as guidelines rather than commandments. Wine is food, and it can be treated as one more ingredient in deliciously prepared seafood fare.

Chardonnay - Shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, red snapper, striped bass, other white fish, tuna, oysters (raw), pasta with shellfish, pasta with clam sauce

Chenin Blanc - Shrimp, oysters (raw), clams, mussels, spicy Thai and Mexican dishes

Colombard - Shrimp

Gewüztraminer - Smoked fish (trout, herring), Thai dishes

Marsanne - Crab, lobster

Pinot Blanc - Shrimp, striped bass, mussels, smoked fish (trout, herring), clams, oysters (raw), spicy Thai or Chinese dishes

Pinot Grigio / Gris - Salmon, salmon tartar, oysters (raw), mussels

Riesling (Dry) - White fish, smoked fish (trout, herring), oysters (raw), spicy Chinese Thai and Mexican dishes

Riesling (Semi-dry) - Sushi, sashimi, smoked fish (trout, herring), fish curry , spicy Chinese, Thai and Mexican dishes

Roussanne - Crab, lobster

Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc - Salmon, shrimp, swordfish, tuna, red snapper, mussels, crab, scallops, clams, oysters (raw), pasta with shellfish, fish curry

Sémillon - Salmon, scallops, white fish

Seyval Blanc - Clams

Vidal Blanc - Shrimp

Vignoles - Striped bass

Vin Gris - Salmon, swordfish, tuna, spicy Mexican

Viognier - White fish

David Oldham is a winemaker at Andrew Will on Vashon Island in Washington state. He can be reached at: david@andrewwill.com