Mariner Beverages, USA Wine West Unveil New Wine to Benefit UMaine’s Lobster Institute
Contact: Tim Wissemann – Mariner Beverages (207)699-2939 – co-creator of Big Claw
Steve Melchiskey – USA Wine West (207) 653-3293– co-creator of Big Claw
Dr. Robert Bayer – Executive Director, Lobster Institute (207) 581-2785
Steve DiMillo – Owner, DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant (207) 772-2216
PORTLAND – The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, USA Wine West, and Mariner Beverages introduced Big Claw –a new wine specifically designed to pair with lobster – at a “first pour” event on July 13 at Dimillo’s Floating Restaurant in Portland, Maine.
It was announced at the event that a portion of the proceeds from sales of Big Claw would be donated to the Lobster Institute to further their research and outreach work for and with the lobster industry.
Big Claw is a crisp, balanced blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard, and Chenin Blanc from the North Coast, and was the unanimous choice as “the perfect wine to go with lobster” by members of a panel of wine and food professionals that guided the design of Big Claw. Steve Melchiskey of USA Wine West (with offices in California and Maine) and Tim Wissemann of Mariner Beverages (Portland, Maine) are the designers of the wine, and offered the first pour to Steve DiMillo, host of the event and owner of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant, and Dr. Bob Bayer, Executive Director of the Lobster Institute.
DiMillo was a member of the design panel and also is a long-time volunteer with the Lobster Institute.
“I was excited to hear that Steve and Tim were partnering to develop a wine specifically to pair with lobster. At our restaurant, we are always asked to recommend a wine to go with Maine’s signature dish. When I tasted Big Claw, I knew they had a winner,” DiMillo said. “And when I heard they were giving back to the lobster industry by supporting the Lobster Institute, I was totally onboard. DiMillo’s already has its order in for the year.”
Bayer also is pleased with the arrangement and the wine.
“Big Claw has a very refreshing taste, and is a terrific complement to lobster – my favorite dish, by the way,” Bayer said. “Not only have they done a great job with the wine, their willingness to support the lobster industry is also very commendable. The Lobster Institute is very appreciative of being chosen as the beneficiary of their support.”
Wisseman noted that “giving back” was a decision he and Melchiskey made early on.
“Since we are capitalizing on Maine’s lobster fishery, we wanted to support the industry,” said Wissemann. “We are doing that by giving back financially to the Lobster Institute as well as trying to increase the awareness of the Institute. We chose the Lobster Institute because of their history of working closely with lobstermen to maintain the vitality of both the resource and the fishery. ”
Melchiskey is the managing partner of USA Wine West, a national wine import company. His experience also includes winemaking and grape growing, and his motivation for developing Big Claw came from several friends, in Portland and on Little Cranberry Island, who are commercial lobstermen.
“I’ve always admired the hard work they do with good spirit, and wanted to develop a wine that would match both that spirit and Maine’s best known resource,” said Melchiskey.
“Big Claw and lobster make a perfect combination,” said Wissemann, who owned a wineshop on Portland’s waterfront prior to founding Mariner Beverages. “[I] was constantly being asked by customers as to what wine they should serve with lobster and wondered why no one had created one.”
Melchiskey and Wissemann met in 2003 when their sons became classmates in kindergarten. They bantered the idea of a designing a wine to pair with lobster around while Melchiskey was coaching their sons’ Little League baseball team. Everything came together in 2009, and in July the first cases of Big Claw arrived in Maine for distribution throughout the state.
BigClaw is distributed by Mariner Beverages, a wholesale distributor of fine wines and craft beers in Maine. The wine is available for sale at restaurants and retailers throughout southern and coastal Maine.
To learn more about Big Claw, contact Mariner Beverages at (207) 699-2939 or visit the Lobster Institute’s website at www.lobsterinsitute.org.