Looking for the holiday wine and food pairings? How about oysters and wine for your holiday gathering! I recently attended an event at Whole Foods in in Portland and sampled a delicious holiday wine and oyster pairing.
Whole Foods Market Top Ten Holiday Wines:
- Pizzolato Pinot Grigio—Stone fruit aromas give way to an enticing minerality and vibrant acidity in this organically grown Italian wine.
- Globerati Sauvignon Blanc—This fresh white has lemon and grapefruit aromas with a hint of honeysuckle.
- Louis Latour Duet Chardonnay-Viognier—A French blend showcasing round, fruity softness with earthly notes and a hint of smoke.
- Sea Pines Russian River Chardonnay—Subtle aromas belie big flavors of green apple, lemon and vanilla bean.
- Coppola Sonoma County Pinot Noir—A classic see-through, fruit forward ruby red with a tartness of dried cherry and strawberry and subtle floral jasmine notes.
- Bodegas Belgrano Malbec—Aromas of warm spices and stewed blueberry flavors that mingle with woodsy hints of smoke.
- Leyenda del Castillo Rioja—Mineral, earthy aromas are found in this deep garnet Spanish red.
- Bubo Cabernet Sauvignon—Surprisingly fruity, pleasant and approachable with a touch of green pepper aroma.
- H&G Priorat—Earthy, herbaceous aromas in this brick red wine lead to a refined minerality and complex dark fruit flavors.
- Charles and Charles Merlot—There is an attractive baked biscuit aroma in this inky, hearty red.
- Gaston Chiquet Champagne—Rose gold in color with persistent foamy bubbles, delicate peach and golden delicious apple notes lead to a lovely lengthy finish.
Oyster Tips
- The smaller they are, the sweeter they are
- Shucking is about finesse, not power
- The Sweet Spot—There’s an open area in the back of the shell when the knife stops turning, twist the knife and pop the shell open
- Protection—Wear a thick glove to protect your hand and use a rag to hold the oyster for leverage
- History—Find out where the oyster is coming from. They should always have a tag. If they don’t have a tag, you don’t want that oyster!
- If you’re hosting an event or just craving oysters, Whole Foods Market can shuck them in-house for you!
- Oysters are best 2–3 hours after being shucked
- Prime time for oysters is now through February; the colder the weather, the better the oyster!
Oyster and Wine Pairings
- Globerati Sauvignon Blanc and Sun Hollow Oyster
- Pizzolato Organic Pinot Grigio and Malaspina Oyster
- Louis Latour Duet Chardonnay-Viognier and Fanny Bay Oyster
- Sea Pines Russian River Chardonnay and Miyagi Oyster (with cucumber, champagne vinaigrette, and Siberian caviar)
- Gaston Chiquet Champagne and Penn Cove Select Oyster
Want to try shucking your oyster at home? Sean gave us a tutorial. Watch how to shuck an oyster here.
Jana Seitzer is a writer, traveler, podcaster, and geek. Although well-versed in many fictional universes, Star Wars & Marvel have always been her favorites.
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