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
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.
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
Aligoté may actually be an even more precise conduit for Burgundian terroir than Chardonnay.
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.
La Soeur Cadette France | Burgundy
The grape is better known as the Loire Valley’s delicate, citrusy Muscadet, but grown in the land from whence it’s named, it takes on lovely length and texture.
Domaine Savary France | Burgundy
Ethereal and bright, with the notes of cherry and earth that get red-Burgundy lovers’ hearts racing.
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.
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige
At once luscious and vibrant, Voglar is one of Italy’s most sublime Sauvignon Blancs.
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
Volcanic soils confer mouthwatering salinity to the Garganega grape in this racy, textured white.
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.
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
A single-vineyard bottling whose age lends a soft, drawn butter richness to its bright, tart citrus palate.
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.
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 | Burgundy
Aligoté may actually be an even more precise conduit for Burgundian terroir than Chardonnay.
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 grape is better known as the Loire Valley’s delicate, citrusy Muscadet, but grown in the land from whence it’s named, it takes on lovely length and texture.
France | Burgundy
Ethereal and bright, with the notes of cherry and earth that get red-Burgundy lovers’ hearts racing.
Italy | Sardinia
A fleshy and savory unfiltered Vermentino from northern Sardinia.
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.
France | Provence
It is a seafood lover’s dream wine.
Italy | Le Marche
The wine’s salinity finds balance with a delightfully tart note of lemon rind.
Italy | Alto Adige
At once luscious and vibrant, Voglar is one of Italy’s most sublime Sauvignon Blancs.
Italy | Veneto
Volcanic soils confer mouthwatering salinity to the Garganega grape in this racy, textured white.
France | Burgundy
Displaying both the oyster shell quality we love about Chablis and the sunny orchard fruit notes that make Bourgogne blancs so delicious.
France | Loire
A single-vineyard bottling whose age lends a soft, drawn butter richness to its bright, tart citrus palate.
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.
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