Pairing Suggestion Needed

[jsandler]

For Los Angeles Restaurant week, my girlfriend and I are going to the Water Grill on Friday. They currently offer free corkage, so I'm looking for a potential wine pairing.

Here's the menu: http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaur...

We'll most likely order the following: Calamari, oysters, salmon, porkbelly, red velvet pudding cake and ice cream/sorbet assortment.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We like both reds and whites and are open to almost anything. Would like to stick to about $20 a bottle. Could go a bit more for a fantastic suggestion.

Any help would be greatly apprecited. Thanks!

[maria lorraine]

If breaded and fried calamari, then bubbles. Goes well with oysters also, especially if there is a mignonette. If followed by salmon and pork belly (because of the fat and not so much real pork), then I'd make the bubbles Rose Champagne. Switch to port for the red velvet pudding cake.

[Al Toon]

A good Muscadet sur Lie would be perfect with the seafood, thank heavens it's coming back into fashion these days. Pinot Noir is an obvious choice with the pork but a Barbera d'Asti or Sangiovese such as Chianti would cut through the fattiness of the dish.

[ChefJune]

I'm not a fan of red wine with calamari or oysters. Are you bringing your own wine or ordering off the restaurant's list?

[mlgb]

OP mentioned free corkage so just a wild guess that they're bringing their own bottle(s)

Oysters on the half shell

Calamari Fritto Misto served with lemon and harissa

[jsandler]

Yes, we're planning on bringing our own wine.

[ChefJune]

Based on yourproposed menu, I would suggest the sparkling wine of your choice with the shellfish. ( We particularly like Roederer Anderson Valley that is within your price point.) and a Central Coast Pinot Noir with the remainder of the meal. Perhaps a half bottle of Port with dessert?

[SteveTimko]

The Wine Country is a great place to buy wine. Muscadet is a fantastic wine to go with oysters. It's not clear to me how the calimari will be cooked but it could go with calimari too, as long as it's not fried. Wine Country has muscadet for $12 and $15. It's a high-acid white so it demands food, but it's a wonderful wine.
Another suggestion from Wine Country would be sparkling wine from Loire. They have a Vouvray and Mountlouis for $20 and a Vouvray for $22 and all look good to me. Sparkling wine may even go with salmon.

[mlgb]

How close are you to Signal Hill? Wine Country carries Huber Cellars 07 Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir at $21.99. I think it would work with what you've listed.

They also carry the Unoaked Chardonnay for $1 more.