"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead- not sick, not wounded - dead."
- Woody Allen (1935 - )
I, on the other hand, will eat oysters! I will slurp them out of the shell, I will fry them, I will put spinach over them and grill them for Oysters Rockefeller, coat them in horseradish and cocktail sauce and place them on crackers, I will drop them in the bottom of a beer as sort of my own version of an Irish Car Bomb, however I will not snort them off the table like some cocaine addict (in fact I happen to witness this once from some drunk frat boys sitting next to me at Barnacle Bills. I kept thinking what if that thing got stuck in his sinuses....gross).
Jonathan Swift once noted that it was a brave man that ate the first oyster, and I kinda agree. But I bet that man or woman didn't have one thing to help them along... a cold bottle of Clos Des Briors. It was only recently that I got turned onto this wonderful wine. And when paired with raw oysters....it really comes alive, no pun intended. The Clos des Briords is a more powerful wine than most of the Muscadets. It is very mineral and quite austere in its youth, rather than fruity and light, which when chilled really brings out the mineral and salt flavors in the oyster. I highly recommend this wine!
Region: LOIRE
Sub-Region: MUSCADET
As for the oyster, if you happen to live anywhere near Apalachicola, Florida or know of a market that sells oysters from this region, by ALL MEANS GET THEM! I've had oysters from all over the world and not one can compare to the Apalachicola oyster. They are at their best in the colder months. Try to pick the large ones that are clear/wet on the inside and not sick smelling. They should taste salty and slightly sweet. If you do get a hold of a bad one and have already sent it down the gullet, skip the wine and go straight for the hardest liquor you can find. I might suggest a few shots of tequila and a prayer. Cheers!
