Food and wine matching : Oysters
Oysters, especially raw, are usually consumed simply with a dash of lemon. Some villages have gained gastronomic fame for the quality of their oysters and Cambados in Galicia is one of them. Obviously, we must not forget Brittany with Cancale another serious producer. Often easier to source for us who live in Andorra are the mediterranean products, especially from Leucate (in France) or from the Ebro’s delta.
When it comes to open the right bottle with oysters, we like to recommend wines that dry or bone-dry, unoaked or very gently oaked, light to medium-bodied and preferably youthful and fresh.
Firstly, Chablis is without any doubt the first wine that comes to mind, Petit Chablis would be my second thought!
Domaine William Fêvre produces both! Their Petit Chablis is stunning, light-bodied, fresh and citrussy. A unoaked chardonnay with lee-aging, in order to bring some aromatic complexity and some weight on the palate. Its crispy, bone-dry style will act like a squeeze of lemon! zesty, mouthwatering and delicious. For just 15.00 Euros.
Another option from the Loire valley is the still undervalued Muscadet sur lie. It is produced near Nantes, and it is elaborated with a single variety called : Melon de Bourgogne (quite confusing, isn’t it?). The style is very close to Chablis : dry, crisp and light-bodied. Le Domaine des Hautes Noelles offers a great example for less than 10.00 Euros. What a bargain!
Food and wine-matching’s secret weapon is Champagne. Anyway, for oysters aged champagnes, pinot noir dominated or rich and intense champagne should be avoided. Unless you harmonize your oysters to do so! In our case, a blanc de blancs such as Gosset would be perfect. 100% chardonnay, its creamy bubbles and citrussy aromas will be ideal!
From a different country, but also fizzy, and produced near Barcelona “Viticultors Torrello” produces some truly fine sparkling, dry, limey and refreshing. These wines will do a terrific job on your table.
From the opposite side of the peninsula, in Galicia, we can’t miss the great wines of Rias Baixas. Not all of them will work with oysters, but Fefiñanes a 100% albariño located in the sub-region of Val do Salnes would be splendid. A medium-bodied white, that possesses a certain aromatic complexity without overwhelming the dish. Its natural acidity will concentrate the iodine flavor of your shellfish.
A bit more exotic, but can be amazing, is to match your oysters with a clean, dry riesling. Castell d’Encus in Costers del Segre yields an tremendous Riesling called Ekam. Ekam is light to medium-bodied riesling that is fresh, dry, aromatically more adventurous as you get lime, elderflower, green apples. Its long aftertaste will also increase the flavor of your sea-food. A beautiful wine for 22.50 Euros.
Finally, do not hesitate to call us for any further information or recommendation.
