Coast to Coast on the Half Shell
by Allyson Noman
With their many nuances and preparations in mind, we’ve put together a collection of bottles to highlight oysters’ regional qualities and to celebrate the joie de vivre they elicit.
With their many nuances and preparations in mind, we’ve put together a collection of bottles to highlight oysters’ regional qualities and to celebrate the joie de vivre they elicit.
Coast to Coast on the Half Shell
by Allyson Noman
Oysters, like wine, reflect their terroir. Those from the choppy, cold, and salty Atlantic have smooth, shallow shells. Their delicate, slightly translucent flesh is clean and crisp, with a refreshing burst of brine. The Pacific Ocean is gentler and more mild; its oysters are deep-cupped with scalloped edges, and the pearly, opaque flesh has a richer, creamy texture, with a kiss of melony sweetness. Large and meaty oysters from the Gulf Coast inspired locals to try them grilled or fried—oyster po’ boys and Oysters Rockefeller (a decadent preparation birthed during an escargot shortage) are both staples in New Orleans.
Even a half-shell oyster purist such as myself can’t deny the abundance of ways to experience this sea creature. I often fondly recall my years spent running a seafood restaurant and the pleasure of sampling our daily selection of oysters from coast to coast, deciding which wines by-the-glass would provide the most delightful pairings. The possibilities were, and are, nearly endless.
With their many nuances and preparations in mind, we’ve put together a collection of bottles to highlight oysters’ regional qualities and to celebrate the joie de vivre they elicit. There is hardly anything better than a day spent with friends, shucking and slurping both oysters and wine. Mineral-driven Muscadet or elegant Champagne are classic pairings, but other mouthwatering matches include white Burgundy, stony iterations of Sauvignon Blanc, or salt-kissed Vermentino. We’ve also included unexpected options, like an Italian Sylvaner from Manni Nössing in Alto Adige, and a French one from Meyer-Fonné in Alsace. And—gasp!—even some reds, because everyone should know the distinct pleasure of Beaujolais alongside a barbecued or broiled bivalve.
Wines In The Collection
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto
The 2022 has a sweet nose with summery whiffs of peach and apricot, a silky mid-palate, and a lovely citrus and mineral finish.
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
In this bottling from Yves Leccia, Grenache takes center stage, offering fragrant notes of lavender spiced with balmy Mediterranean brush.
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
It fills the mouth with suspicions of honeysuckle and pulpy stone fruits, all while maintaining classic notes of iodine and sea breeze that make this the vinous equivalent of tidepooling.
Veuve Fourny & Fils France | Champagne
No need to wait for the perfect moment to enjoy a bottle; popping the cork on their Blanc de Blancs is a special occasion unto itself!
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
A terroir-driven rosé redolent of a Provençal summer with notes of thyme and white peach, and a mouthwateringly salty finish.
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige
This Sylvaner, from high in the Dolomites, is a finely channeled mountain breeze, an exercise in textural delicacy that will leave your palate tingling with the sensation of crispy minerals.
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
An intense exotic nose lures you in before the minerality channels the lightning energy of this pure Sauvignon Blanc.
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
This bottle gives some of my favorite grand cru Rieslings a run for their money with a nose evoking peach skin and pear and a palate that ripples with fresh acidity.
Château Graville-Lacoste France | Bordeaux
April Adventures Club ~ Whatever snacks are on your table or picnic blanket, this blanc will fit the bill with its pretty notes of green apple, citrus, and subtle tropical fruits.
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
Aligoté may actually be an even more precise conduit for Burgundian terroir than Chardonnay.
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
An opulent, mouth-filling expression of granitic terroir, this bottling has the delicate floral nuances and fine-grained tannin that differentiates Fleurie from the other crus.
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
A biodynamic, orange-zesty, multifaceted masterpiece from the most ancient growing region on the island.
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
This exquisite Muscadet is a perfect reflection of where it originates, as if it’s been sculpted by winds off the ocean and infused with hints of sea salt in the air.
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
Soaring with aromas of brioche and praline, this lush and luxurious bottling sets the benchmark for Crémants everywhere.
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
When you smell it, keep in mind that no other wine, besides a Melon de Bourgogne grown in the gabbro soil of Gorges, could possibly smell like this one does.
Domaine François Lumpp France | Burgundy
The Lumpp style is on full display with this beauty: open-knit, fruit-forward, silky, and seductive Pinot Noir beckons.
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Delicate, ethereal aroma—gently floral. Rose water, citrus zest, blood orange. Round and airy on the palate. Bright, clean, pure. Crisp finish.
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais
If Beaujolais were Burgundy, we might consider Morgon to be Vosne-Romanée, with its haunting perfume and silky texture, the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
Gorges boasts an incredible texture and tension imparted by decomposed, blue-green igneous rock, seventy-year-old vines, and years-long aging on the lees.
Henri Costal France | Burgundy
A stunning value from one of Chablis’ oldest premier cru vineyards, with a lovely mouthful of stone fruit and hint of lemongrass.
Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
Displaying both the oyster shell quality we love about Chablis and the sunny orchard fruit notes that make Bourgogne blancs so delicious.
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
It’s both inviting––it makes for a lovely apéritif––and angular, prime to accompany lemony pasta dishes, clams, or flavorful and rich vegetarian lasagnas.
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais
Savor it while you can, because your glass will be empty before you know it, leaving you only with the spicy, mineral-laden aftertaste of a bottle that went down way too easily.
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
The wine’s salinity finds balance with a delightfully tart note of lemon rind.
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria
Supremely crisp and mineral, this is an ideal representation of this coastal region and perfect for seafood.
Domaine Savary France | Burgundy
Ethereal and bright, with the notes of cherry and earth that get red-Burgundy lovers’ hearts racing.
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
A single-vineyard bottling whose age lends a soft, drawn butter richness to its bright, tart citrus palate.
Nicolas Maillart France | Champagne
Beautiful perfume of orange blossom, very fine with an incredibly soft mousse.
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
Volcanic soils confer mouthwatering salinity to the Garganega grape in this racy, textured white.
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige
The uncommon location and treatment capture a different face of this very familiar variety, deep and mouth-filling yet carrying a bracing jolt of limey acidity.
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
This low-alcohol, youthful bianco has a subtle, chalky texture you might find in much pricier French Chablis.
Italy | Veneto
The 2022 has a sweet nose with summery whiffs of peach and apricot, a silky mid-palate, and a lovely citrus and mineral finish.
France | Corsica
In this bottling from Yves Leccia, Grenache takes center stage, offering fragrant notes of lavender spiced with balmy Mediterranean brush.
France | Loire
It fills the mouth with suspicions of honeysuckle and pulpy stone fruits, all while maintaining classic notes of iodine and sea breeze that make this the vinous equivalent of tidepooling.
France | Champagne
No need to wait for the perfect moment to enjoy a bottle; popping the cork on their Blanc de Blancs is a special occasion unto itself!
France | Provence
A terroir-driven rosé redolent of a Provençal summer with notes of thyme and white peach, and a mouthwateringly salty finish.
Italy | Alto Adige
This Sylvaner, from high in the Dolomites, is a finely channeled mountain breeze, an exercise in textural delicacy that will leave your palate tingling with the sensation of crispy minerals.
France | Loire
An intense exotic nose lures you in before the minerality channels the lightning energy of this pure Sauvignon Blanc.
France | Alsace
This bottle gives some of my favorite grand cru Rieslings a run for their money with a nose evoking peach skin and pear and a palate that ripples with fresh acidity.
France | Bordeaux
April Adventures Club ~ Whatever snacks are on your table or picnic blanket, this blanc will fit the bill with its pretty notes of green apple, citrus, and subtle tropical fruits.
France | Burgundy
Aligoté may actually be an even more precise conduit for Burgundian terroir than Chardonnay.
France | Beaujolais
An opulent, mouth-filling expression of granitic terroir, this bottling has the delicate floral nuances and fine-grained tannin that differentiates Fleurie from the other crus.
France | Corsica
A biodynamic, orange-zesty, multifaceted masterpiece from the most ancient growing region on the island.
France | Loire
This exquisite Muscadet is a perfect reflection of where it originates, as if it’s been sculpted by winds off the ocean and infused with hints of sea salt in the air.
France | Alsace
Soaring with aromas of brioche and praline, this lush and luxurious bottling sets the benchmark for Crémants everywhere.
France | Burgundy
Sleek, crisp, light, and luminous, with a steely, saline finish.
Italy | Sardinia
A fleshy and savory unfiltered Vermentino from northern Sardinia.
France | Loire
When you smell it, keep in mind that no other wine, besides a Melon de Bourgogne grown in the gabbro soil of Gorges, could possibly smell like this one does.
France | Burgundy
The Lumpp style is on full display with this beauty: open-knit, fruit-forward, silky, and seductive Pinot Noir beckons.
France | Corsica
Delicate, ethereal aroma—gently floral. Rose water, citrus zest, blood orange. Round and airy on the palate. Bright, clean, pure. Crisp finish.
France | Beaujolais
If Beaujolais were Burgundy, we might consider Morgon to be Vosne-Romanée, with its haunting perfume and silky texture, the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.
France | Loire
Gorges boasts an incredible texture and tension imparted by decomposed, blue-green igneous rock, seventy-year-old vines, and years-long aging on the lees.
France | Loire
Consistently one of the Loire’s finest Sauvignon Blancs
France | Burgundy
A stunning value from one of Chablis’ oldest premier cru vineyards, with a lovely mouthful of stone fruit and hint of lemongrass.
France | Burgundy
Displaying both the oyster shell quality we love about Chablis and the sunny orchard fruit notes that make Bourgogne blancs so delicious.
Italy | Le Marche
It’s both inviting––it makes for a lovely apéritif––and angular, prime to accompany lemony pasta dishes, clams, or flavorful and rich vegetarian lasagnas.
France | Beaujolais
Savor it while you can, because your glass will be empty before you know it, leaving you only with the spicy, mineral-laden aftertaste of a bottle that went down way too easily.
Italy | Le Marche
The wine’s salinity finds balance with a delightfully tart note of lemon rind.
Italy | Liguria
Supremely crisp and mineral, this is an ideal representation of this coastal region and perfect for seafood.
France | Burgundy
Ethereal and bright, with the notes of cherry and earth that get red-Burgundy lovers’ hearts racing.
France | Loire
A single-vineyard bottling whose age lends a soft, drawn butter richness to its bright, tart citrus palate.
France | Champagne
Beautiful perfume of orange blossom, very fine with an incredibly soft mousse.
Italy | Veneto
Volcanic soils confer mouthwatering salinity to the Garganega grape in this racy, textured white.
Italy | Alto Adige
The uncommon location and treatment capture a different face of this very familiar variety, deep and mouth-filling yet carrying a bracing jolt of limey acidity.
Italy | Le Marche
This low-alcohol, youthful bianco has a subtle, chalky texture you might find in much pricier French Chablis.
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