There is nothing better than sitting in a restaurant with a tray of oysters and a glass of white wine.  White wine and oysters is a classic pairing, unfortunately, so many people are turned off by oysters.  I just don’t get it.  Maybe because I love wine so  much, it makes sense that I love oysters too.  If you remember seeing my posts of top kid friendly restaurants, they all served oysters.

An oyster is just like a grape.  An oyster is harvested in appellations, with the right growing conditions and over time produces sugars which give it body.  An oyster’s flavor is influenced by its “terroir” or body of water.  Like wine, depending on the species of oyster, where it grows, how long it grows and when harvested will affect its flavor and texture.

Before we begin to pair wine and oysters we will need to have a better understanding of the different types of oysters.  In the US we consume mostly Pacific and Eastern oysters. Two other popular oysters are Kumamotos and now the up and coming cold water oysters from Baja’s Rio Negro.

Pacific oysters are not native to North America, but brought here by the Japanese.  These are grown all along the western coast line of the US and Canada.  Pacific oysters are harvested in farms on trays, bags or lines.  These farming practices contribute to their curled shells and deep cups.  Pacific oysters are usually a younger species and their size a bit smaller than Eastern oysters.  In general their meats are meatier and crisper than those from the East coast.  These oysters spawn when the water gets warmer during the months of June and September.  The best time to consume would be between October and June.

By contrast, Eastern oysters are an older species and grow along the Canadian eastern coast all the way down into the Gulf of Mexico.  These oysters are indigenous to North America which is why we see more wild oysters.  However, in recent years more and more people are farming Eastern oysters.  Their shells are larger and flatter.  The reason being that many grow on the beach bottoms which allows the oyster’s shell to spread out.  Their meat is smoother and fattier than Pacific oysters.  Since many Eastern oysters grow on beaches, the tides will have a huge effect on the age of the oysters.  The oysters that get washed out might be older when harvested than the oysters that are washed in.

Since Eastern oysters grow in different waters, the ideal time of consumption will vary according to where they come from.  Oysters from the Gulf of Mexico are best between October and April.  The oysters from the US mid-Atlantic are best between September and April.  Oysters from the Northeastern Atlantic are best between June and March.

Kumamotos are a smaller species of oyster and have deep cups.  They grow very slowly.  Where other oysters might be ready after 9 months to two years, Kumamotos take any where between 2 and 4 years to mature.  When they do, their meat has more sugar which makes these small gems sweeter.  While many oysters might develop more flavor with age, Kumamotos loose flavor and become fleshy and washed out.

Did you know that oysters were cellared?  Malpeques were harvested in November and cellared under wet hay for consumption in March.

Pairing Wine and Oysters

The two things you will need to consider when pairing wine and oysters are the body of the oyster and wine and the sweetness or saltines of the two.  Body is important in that one does not over power the other.  We try to match the oysters fleshiness with the wine’s weight.  Both have levels of sugar which give them fruitiness and sweetness.  While oysters are salty, and some wines might have a salty character, we are matching the acid of the wine to the saltiness of the oyster.

Marin Miyagi (3-4″) are grown in the Tamales Bay in California.  They are grown in bags which gives them a rounded and deep cup.  Their meats are plump and sweet with flavors of melons.  Although they are plump they are still delicate so I chose a light bodied wine, Sancerre or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  Sauvignon Blanc has a citrus flavor and can also taste of melons.  A Sancerre’s acidity is about the same volume as the oysters salinity and makes for a great pairing.  The best part is that the Marin Miyagi comes from a non-spawning seed and is available year round.

Fanny Bay (2.5-4″) come from the Baynes Sound in Vancouver.  They are harvested using suspension and then transferred to intertidal area causing these oysters to have a unique shape of flaring ridges.  They are sweet, fleshy and fruity.  Try these oysters with a glass of Vermentino, a white from Tuscany.  It is fruity, light and shows bright acidity.  The body of the Vermentino matches perfectly with the weight of the oyster.  Both have a similar volume level and make for a great pairing.

Paradise (2.5-3.5″) is another Pacific Oyster that is available in the summer months.  It is farmed in the deep extremely cold waters of Baynes Sound in Vancouver Island.  These oysters are briny and have plump meat with a delicate sweetness.   I paired these with Chardonnay, not just any Chardonnay, but Chablis.  Chablis has the perfect body for this pairing because it is lean and will not overpower like other fuller bodied Chardonnays from the Beaune, Maconnaise or California.  The chalky mineral character of Chablis is an excellent match to the oysters’ briny character.

Crystal Point (2.5-3.5″) come from the Hood Canal in the Puget Sound.  It is one of the only glacier fjord in North America.  These oysters are deep cupped and are very rich.  They have a delicate cucumber flavor.  A perfect match is Sake.   Be careful in your Sake choice.  I recommend a Junmai Daiginjo or a Junmai ginjo.  A clean, lighter sake with less alcohol.  Stay away from sweet Nigori Sakes and alcoholic Honjozu Sakes.  These Sakes mask that delicious cucumber flavor.

Kumamotos (2-2.5″) originally came from the island of Kyushi in Japan.  Today they are farmed in the Humboldt bay of Northern California.  These are the smallest of oysters and pack a sweet salty punch.  These oysters take anywhere between 2-4 years to mature, however, unlike other oysters, the older they get they begin to lose flavor.  This reminds me of Albariño.  You do not want to drink aged Albariño, it just doesn’t get better with time.  However, you definitely need to drink Albariño with Kumamotos.  The sweet fruitiness of Albariño matches perfectly with these oysters.  But even more interesting is that Albariño has a salty character which also makes this a perfect pairing.

Beausoliel (2-2.5″) come from New Brunswick Canada.  This Eastern Oyster is firm and flavorful and holds a lot of liquid.  It has a salty flavor which I think works excellently with Blanc de Blanc Champagne.  This Champagne made with 100% Chardonnay is airy, light, creamy with bright acidity.  It gives this oyster lift and allows the oysters texture to come through.

Eastern (2.5-3.5″) are harvested in the Chesapeake area as far north as the Long Island Sound.  The  most famous oyster was the Blue Point oyster which grew wild in the waters of Long Island Sound.  Over time people began harvesting other types of oysters throughout this region and passing them as Blue Points.  Today these oysters are known as Eastern.  They are briny and meaty with plump meats.  That being said their meat melts in your mouth.  The wine I chose is a classic oyster wine, Muscadet from the Loire made with Melon de Bourgogne.  These wines are light bodied and have a salty sea shell mineral flavor.  Best of all they have intense acidity which cuts through the plump oyster meat.

Kumiai (3-4″) are west coast oysters in Baja California in the waters of the Guerrero Negro Lagoon.  They are harvested in bags and racks.  They are large oysters due to the high phytoplankton production that surfaces from the bottom of the lagoon.  These oysters are plump, salty and sweet.  A complex oyster needs a complex white.  I recommend a dry Riesling either from Alsace or a dry Spätlese from the Mosel.  The Riesling has high acidity, petrol notes and when fermented dry will allow the oysters sweetness to come through.

Referrences:

Oyster information & profiles DeCarlo Seafood Co.

Bluepoint Oysterguide.com 

Oyster profiles Santa Monica Seafood

Oyster Pictures http://www.smshellfish.com/oysters.html

Crystal Point images LA and OC foodventures

Good morning and happy Thanksgiving!  As most of you are in your kitchens or running to the store for butter, I am on my way to work.  I don’t say this because I want to complain.  In fact I’d rather be at work than fussing over a turkey.

I wish I could peer into your house now and see what is going on in your kitchen.  I can only imagine that there is a lot of stress.  Is the bird at the right temperature?  Did I make enough gravy?  Did I buy enough pumpkin pie?  Most importantly, which wine should I pair with my food today?  This is why I don’t mind working.  Thanksgiving can be way too stressful.

Most bloggers are trying to reduce the stress by giving you their perfect thanksgiving wine pairing.  When I go into the restaurant today I will be doing the same thing for my guests.  We are serving a prefix menu and I have paired each dish with the proper wine.  No stress for the guest, just come in and order your food and drink your wine.

Unfortunately, those of you at home do not have this luxury.  Here is what I mean.  At the restaurant I chose wines which pair with composed dishes.  So the process is a lot easier.   At home Thanksgiving dinner is usually a hodgepodge of  turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green jello, corn, green beans and your aunt’s secret port-cranberry sauce.  Your plate is a mound of white and dark turkey meat with 5 different sauces 3 different starches and a vegetable goulash.

So here you go, time to pair it with wine.  Your favorite blogger says, “drink Gamay”.  Another says, “drink Pinot Noir”.  The real pioneering one says, “this year let’s get creative and drink Sparkling Shiraz”.  Really guys?!  By the time you take your first sip for the great Thanksgiving wine pairing, your palate is already saturated with flavors of sweetness, spiciness, oiliness, bitterness and dry Turkey.  No wine will ever be a perfect pairing for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

So, what do I recommend you ask?  The answer is very simple, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the things that we have.  It is the time to share memories with family and friends.  So get your b*** down to your cellar and pick  your best wine and open it up.  What are you waiting for?  This is the time to share a special bottle with the people you love. No it is not going to pair with your food,  nothing will.  Stop stressing yourself out.  Don’t worry if the turkey is dry.  Who cares if the pie crust is burnt.  If you open that special bottle it will make everything so much better.  Stop letting it gather dust, this is that special day you’ve been waiting for.  Remember a true Thanksgiving wine pairing is pairing wine with the people you love.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TODAY?

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show off and pair wine with chocolates for your sweetheart!

Back in December, I contributed to another blog; an article on pairing chocolate and wine.  During the holiday season, people ate a lot of chocolates and drank a lot of wine.  Naturally, it was a good time to post an article on pairing chocolate and wine. I held off on posting it on my blog, because I think that Valentine’s Day is a much better time to post this article.

Guys, read it carefully this is your chance to

WOW your significant other.

I never used to be a fan of pairing chocolate and wine.  I thought it really didn’t work that well. Then, one day I sat with a local Chocolatier and tasted her chocolates.  I popped open 20 different types of wines and after trial and error I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were some great pairings to be made.  The number one rule is that the wine needs to be sweeter than the chocolate.  Bitter dark chocolates seemed to go well with some reds; creamy milk chocolates worked well with Champagnes and late harvest and fruity dark chocolates went well with fortified reds. Most Ports were well suited for chocolates, but as you will see below, there are a lot of other more interesting combinations that are just as good. I was given the task to purchase the following chocolates at Whole Foods and find a wine for each. These are the results.  I hope you enjoy!

 “The wine must be sweeter than the Chocolate”

 

madecasse.com
Madécasse 70%: forward, rich, fruity/raisin, sour

This is not a very bitter chocolate and has a rich sweetness.  I find this style of chocolate to work best with fortified reds.  Preferably wines such as Valpolicella Recioto from Veneto Italy.  Another alternative are the wines from Jumilla, fortified wines made with the grape Monastrell from southern Spain. The reason I chose these is that they are made with sundried grapes and then fortified.  They have chocolate, raisin and prune flavors that match well with dark chocolates.

Madécasse 75%: rich, fruit and bark, smooth

This is a dark, dark chocolate; it is fruity but not overly sweet.  An obvious choice would be a port wine. However, I found that a sparkling wine also works amazingly well, but not just any sparkling. What matches well are sparkling reds.  An Australian Sparkling Shiraz has all the fruitiness and richness that matches the fruitiness of the chocolate.  Another great and lesser known option are the Sparkling reds from the Marche in Italy, Lacrima d’Moro.  If you haven’t tried one, it has fruity, dark herbal tones and is off-dry. The bubbles provide texture, which create a pleasing contrast, and the wines have just enough sweetness to match the fruitiness of the chocolate.

Madécasse Sea Salt & Nibs: medium, earthy (from nibs), vanilla, ends with fruit/raspberry

This chocolate is lighter with a crunch. Texture is so important in pairing wine and food. I find a sparkling rosé to work very well. One of the classic pairings is Champagne and french fries or potato chips.  Salty foods are lovely with the high acidity of Champagne.  I chose a rosé because it has a bit more red fruitiness, with flavors of strawberries and cherries. Berries and chocolate are a lot more pleasing than apples and chocolate. I recommend a Billecarte-Salmon rosé, but if that is not in your budget check out some of the sparkling rosés from the Touraine in the Loire.  They make excellent, well priced rose made with the Côt grape, also known as Malbec.

www.patric-chocolate.com

Patric (Columbia, MO): 70% signature blend: medium intensity, citrus/lemon, nuts

If looks could be deceiving this would be it. What seems to be a rich dark chocolate is actually fairly mild and has a bit of a nutty flavor.  Again, port might be a classic pairing, but what I found to be more interesting is a tawny port. 10-20 year tawny worked well because of that oxidized nutty character from the oak barrels. What I also think is outstanding is an Oloroso sherry, one that is not too sweet but is just a little sweeter than the chocolate.  Lustau Oloroso is an excellent choice.

www.recchiuti.com

Recchuiti (SF): bittersweet: Smooth, dark, vanilla, with coconuty finish

 I know, I know, you don’t want to hear port. Well, two other wines work well with this chocolate. First of all, I really enjoy a fortified Grenache from the Banyuls region in France. It adds a fruity raspberry element to the chocolate. But what I also found to work well is an oaky Syrah.  I recommend the wines from Sanguis in the Central Coast.  Their fruit is super extracted; however, they go through 40 months of oak aging. You might think; What! 40 months? Yep, and they are not over oaked. The oak takes a full turn and becomes very well integrated. This works lovely with dark chocolates that are not too sweet and the toasty notes of oak work well with the nutty and vanilla flavors. Also try this with a bittersweet coconut macaroon.

www.pocodolce.com

Poco Dolce (SF): olive sea salt bar: Very smooth truffle-like texture, buttery

Interesting chocolate, and again what catches my attention is its texture.  It is creamy, rich and savory.  We can go in so many different directions.  I find late harvest wines work very well with this chocolate. However, while tasting late harvest wines I came across Tokaji.  I decided to try a dry version made with the grape, Furmint and it went very well.  Other fun and interesting whites would be those that have a similar oily texture with honey aromas.  A dry Semillon from Australia or Bordeaux is also a good alternative to a dry Tokaji.

Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad): Panko: 60%: Sweetness offset with sea salt; kind of like wafer cookies
Honeycomb: Sweet with honey

What I like about these bars is that they have a savory quality that makes wine pairing that much easier.  Moscato d’Asti, an off-dry to sweet sparkling from Italy matches well with it’s texture and flavor.  I also think that a Vouvray demi-sec made with Chenin Blanc from the Loire is a great pairing. What I am looking for is a wine that might have that off-dry character; not necessarily sweet. What I find enjoyable is the honey, orange and fruity flavors, but most importantly, acidity. Salt and acidity…it is classic. Champagne is also a good alternative, an extra dry; it has just enough sweetness with plenty of acid.

This is an excerpt from my work with my friend Marc Winitz at Beforliving.com

To view the full article click here.