Wine and Oyster Pairing

Nothing could seem more perfect than a sparkling glass of Champagne (or another fine sparkling wine) accompanying a seductive oyster just opened. This elegant and stimulating image inspires us and makes us dream, which in itself attests to the success - albeit relative - of this classic wine-food pairing.

As a professional wine and food expert, I find it interesting to reveal other facets of the wine and oyster pairing, so that we can broaden our range of choices. The pairing of Champagne or sparkling wines with oysters is understood by sommeliers as a “traditional pairing” or “psychological pairing”, because instead of being based on technical criteria, it relies on the emotional aspect of the taster. Given the sensual vocation of this type of wine and the food in question, the interaction between the two is unconditionally appreciated. From a traditional point of view, for many years, probably since the opening of the great houses of champagne at the beginning of the 18th century, the nobility feasted on oysters and champagne, a combination that has now become more accessible with the production of good sparkling wines in various parts of the world and the professional cultivation of oysters.

From a technical point of view, however, this traditional or psychological harmonization presents quite strong contradictions, which we will explain below. When we put a fresh oyster in our mouth, the predominant tactile and gustatory-olfactory sensations will be: 1. succulence: intrinsic to the oyster itself and induced by chewing; 2. sapidity: intense marine salinity giving a hard, soapy sensation; 3. very low perception of solid fat, none of unctuousness; 4. medium intensity aromaticity; 5. average perception of bitterness and high iodine perception. It is not difficult to see that Champagnes or sparkling wines are characterized by the freshness of their acidity (less ripe grapes grown in marginally cooler climates) and by the presence of natural carbon dioxide, which in turn accentuates the sensations of hardness in the balance of the wine (acidity and flavor) and attenuates the sensations of softness (sweetness, alcohol and glyceric softness). When we taste oysters with Champagnes or sparkling wines, we have a conflicting combination of synergistic enhancement of hardness, in addition to excessive juiciness in the oral cavity. This is because the high flavor of the oysters is enhanced by the acidic impact of the sparkling wine, all further enhanced by the pungency of the carbon dioxide, without there being a “cushion” of softness in the food (solid lipids and a tendency towards sweetness) for a fair counterbalance. Furthermore, the succulence of the mollusk is not diminished by the alcohol and/or tannins in the wine; quite the opposite, Champagne/sparkling wine induces strong salivation. In conclusion, we are giving hardness to hardness and juiciness to juiciness, not forgetting that, transcending the technical universe, this is one of the most appreciated and practiced harmonizations in the world!

Returning to the enogastronomic technique, what type of wine could we then work with oysters? in nature? We would need white wines first, because with the high iodine content, choosing red wines with tannins would be like licking a rusty lamppost! For the same reason of polyphenol metallization, white wines aged in oak (which provide ellagic polyphenols) should be avoided. As we have seen, the discreet aromaticity of oysters eliminates very flashy whites, excessively fruity, floral or woody, which could overpower the delicate marine perfumes of the noble mollusk.Moscatos, Malvasias, Gewürztraminers and eloquent Viogniers, no way!

We would then choose white wines with a light to medium-bodied structure, with delicate aromas, more restrained than exuberant, with a delicate mineral-marine seal, pleasant but not predominant acidity (so as not to cause the synergistic highlight of hardness), and a balanced alcoholic and glyceric softness, enough to cushion the saline “assault” of the oysters and dry the juices present in the mouth. In this description we find two French classics widely used in bistros that serve succulent Ostrea edulis or Crassostrea gigas to its customers: the Chablis from the category villages (you premier crus and grand crus are too mineral, acidic and powerful for that) and the Muscadets from the Loire. When I visited a prestigious oyster farm in the Étang de Thau lagoon in Languedoc, Tarbouriech, I was amazed at the perfect pairing of those incredible Bouzigues oysters with the white local Picpoul de Pinet, which fulfilled those precepts with flying colors: restrained fruit, non-cutting acidity, medium-high alcohol, a perfect springboard for the delicate mineral flavors of the mollusks! A Greco di Tufo from Campania in Italy and an Assyrtico from the island Santorini are other unmissable partners for oysters. Fortunately, in Portugal there is a sea of ​​perfect wines to pair with fresh oysters. I love pairing them with a simple Arinto de Bucelas, you can't go wrong with this choice. A Terrantez dos Açores, from the Azores Wine Company, makes us eat a dozen more than planned. A tense and mineral Alvarinho like those from Old curtain or a maritime Viosinho from Adega Mãe in Lisbon add to a gigantic list of Portuguese whites that are friendly to oysters. But if you still prefer your traditional sparkling wine, fortunately enogastronomy is a science that, when transgressed, will probably kill you with pleasure alone!