Lately I've been thinking about lobster. Partly this is because I spend time every summer in Maine, and partly it's because of all the odd news reports about lobstermen hauling in more and more lobsters of unusual colors - orange, blue, white, calico, one color on one side, one on another, you name it.

Now, I don't know of any studies yet about the taste of a blue lobster versus a calico one, but I do know that whenever you say "lobster" and "what wine?" people always say "oaky Chardonnay." To that I say, "Hmm." If you have enough butter slathered on the lobster (shoot, if you have enough butter slathered on your shoe), an oaky wine may taste great. But in general, a white with a lot of new oak aging will overwhelm the flavors of shellfish, even lobster, which is fairly delicate. Here are a few other varieties to consider:

Alsace Riesling

Unlike German Rieslings, which are often relatively sweet, Alsace Rieslings are made in a dry style. They're vivid and crisp, but full-bodied enough to handle sweeter shellfish like scallops and lobster. Top producers to look for include Hugel, Weinbach, Trimbach and Zind Humbrecht.

Chablis (or other unoaked Chardonnays)

If you're a Chardonnay lover and dead-set on eating your lobster too, try something from the unoaked side of the spectrum. Chablis is the classic choice, with its bright acidity and chalky minerality; also, a range of California and Oregon wineries are also making terrific unoaked bottlings these days. In Chablis, William Fevre and Christian Moreau are two go-to names. For unoaked Chardonnay from the US, look for Morgan "Metallico," Chehalem's "Inox," Chamisal's "Stainless" (all the names refer to the stainless steel tanks, rather than oak barrels, in which the wine is aged) and the more straightforwardly named Joel Gott Unoaked.

Vermentino

This Italian white grape is grown in many coastal regions of the country, and is one of the world's great seafood wines. From Liguria, look for wines from Colle dei Bardelini and Bisson; from Tuscany, those from Antinori's Guada al Tasso property and Bibi Graetz's Casamatta bottling; and from Sardinia, Sella & Mosca's La Cala is a perennial good value, as is Argiolas' Costamolino.