![Wine Wednesdays with Adam: These Wines are Shucking Good [Oyster-Friendly Wines]](http://www.whitehorsewine.com/cdn/shop/articles/IMG_6045_2_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565017781)
Welcome to the latest installment of Wine Wednesdays with Adam! Each week we'll explore some of my favorite wines and what makes them stand out from the crowd. This week: oyster friendly wines.
Great wines for oysters are what people in the beer world would call “sessionable” – brisk, racy, and refreshing. Their acidity acts much like a squeeze of lemon.
Minerality and certain other wine qualities that give the impression of saltiness – such as the presence of lees during wine aging – also tend to complement the briny-sweetness of oysters.
Lees are leftover yeast particles from the self-destruction of yeast cells during fermentation. White and sparkling wines that are aged on the lees are often described as creamier, richer, fuller-bodied, or with greater depth and complexity of flavor.
Minerality is a tricky one to explain, but it refers to a group of non-fruit, non-herb, non-spice notes. For oyster friendly wines, you're looking for that same "taste of the sea" that you get from crunchy sea salt or oysters.
Here are some of my favorite oyster-friendly wines:
Domaine De Pajot Gascogne Blanc
Light White Wine
This light, refreshing, and dry white has very bright flavors of citrus and melon up front, finishing with a nice crisp acidity--a great option for the pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc drinker.
Jo Landron Amphibolite Muscadet Sevre et Maine
Light White Wine
If there’s one classic pairing for oysters, it’s the always-bright, always-crisp Muscadet. My wife Liz and I discovered this wine at an oyster bar on a recent trip to France. When asked for a recommendation on a white wine to go with the fresh oysters, the bartender didn’t hesitate to pour a glass of this wine. Coming from one of the top producers in Muscadet, who has been producing wines organically and naturally since the '90s, his wines always over-deliver for the price. This wine is racy, fresh, and perfect to add to your list of summer whites. And don’t worry, you don’t have to know how to pronounce it to enjoy drinking it ;)
Domaine du Haut Borg Muscadet
Light White Wine
If you like high-quality Chablis but hate paying top dollar, give this superb wine a try. This racy, acidic, and slightly salty wine has a refreshing finish that makes any seafood dish taste heavenly.
J Mourat Fiefs Vendeens Blanc
Light White Wine | Organic
This 50/50 blend of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay is light gold in color and smells like green orchard fruits and white flowers. It has a sharp, broad acidity that delivers incredible freshness with a long, concentrated finish.
Domaine de Castelnau Picpoul
Light White Wine
This crisp, salty, citrusy white is nice and light--perfect for enjoying seafood in the summer sun. It smells like mangoes and flowers and has a pronounced minerality.
Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina
Light White Wine
Lively and aromatic with a slight bubble, this wine smells like green apples and grapes, with notes of mint. It's initially dry on the palate with a big aromatic finish--a perfect addition to any raw or sushi bar experience.
Lauverjat Vin de Pays Sauvignon Blanc
Light White Wine
Bright, mineral-driven, and acidic, this well-balanced, light white wine offers a fresh and fruity finish with aromas of white flowers.
Loxarel Amalthea Brut Nature Reserva Cava
Light White Wine | Organic
This refreshing bubbly blend of Xarelo and Chardonnay will prime your palate for any meal, but its salinity makes it a great option for pairing with seafood. Brut Nature is a specific category within Brut that has even less sweetness (this style is growing in popularity because it’s lower in calories). Fresh and light, this cava is dry with great acidity and tastes of crisp citrus fruits and green apple.
Looking for great local oysters? Visit our friends at Maxwell Shellfish.