Wine on the Half Shell

Chablis Christian Moreau Vaillon 2005, Retail price $29-38

ShellFIsh, fresh or deep-fried, is at the peak of FLavor in these winter months, and nothing ties in with the briny, mineral tang of fresh oysters and clams quite like certain wines. The fresher the catch the better, of course, and at bayside restaurants in Apalachicola or oceanfront watering holes on St. George Island, Florida, succulent oysters caught earlier that very same day glisten in their pearlescent shells, making the mouth water.

The wines that go best with them are also fresh and young, accented with a bright acidity that complements their unique mineral zest. Cold beer works with oysters and clams, of course, but doesn’t offer that sublime nexus of interacting flavors like the right wine. It’s been my delight to explore the best pairings on numerous occasions — the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition held each April in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, featuring Pacific Northwest oysters and West Coast wines; the annual oyster tasting at Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, D.C.; and my own explorations with fellow bivalve devotees, during which we’ve sipped and slurped our way through a few dozen wines and oysters in search of the perfect pairing.

Invariably, for me, it comes down to the classic match: oysters and Chablis.Yes, I can — and do — enjoy Muscadet, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, or other dry whites with oysters, but if I can get it, I will always take Chablis. That they work so well together isn’t really so surprising. The tried-and-true tradition of oysters and Chablis is as basic as the elements that spawn and link them: mineral-rich seabeds where the mollusks burrow, and the chalky limestone-clay soil of France’s Chablis region, formed thousands of years ago of prehistoric oyster shells and crustacea.

The 2005 and 2006 vintages were excellent in Chablis. My first pick for oysters and clams would be wines labeled simply Chablis, Petit Chablis, or premier cru Chablis, which carry such designations as Vaillons, Montmains, or Montée de Tonnerre. The grands crus, superb as they can be, are apt to be overly intense for the delicacy of fresh oysters or clams; they better suit richer shellfish such as broiled lobster, crab, or shrimp. Among the Chablis I specially recommend Domaine Christian Moreau 2006, $25; Joseph Drouhin 2005, $23-29; Domaine Gilbert Picq et Fils 2005, $18; Domaine Vocoret et Fils 2005, $27. Among the Chablis premier cru: Domaine Christian Moreau Vaillon 2005, $29-38; Domaine Denis Pommier Beauroy 2005, $36; Domaine Vocoret et Fils Les Montmains 2005, $25. And among the Petit Chablis, Domaine Denis Pommier 2005, $25.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better value for pairing with oysters than Muscadet, from the western Loire Valley, right where the Loire River empties into the Atlantic — adjacent, incidentally, to oyster beds that supply the bistros of Paris. Muscadets range from $11 to $16 a bottle, but the top Muscadet in the recent San Francisco taste-off, Domaine de la Quilla Sèvre et Maine 2006, goes for under $10 in these parts, an amazing value. Other good 2006s go for $9-11, sometimes less: Domaine de la Batardière, Château de la Chesnaie, J. Sauvion.

Some may prefer fruitier wines with slightly less of that bracing acidity of Chablis and Muscadet — especially with the plump fried oysters so popular along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, or steamer clams slathered in butter. Sauvignon Blancs from California or the Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé) have the crisp flavor notes that offset deep-fried shellfish, as well as fresh. Here are some that received top honors in 2007 oyster tastings: Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc 2005, $14; Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2006, $12; Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc 2006, $10; and King Estate Pinot Gris 2005, $16. Also look for the bright and charming bargain from southwest France — Domaine du Tariquet 2006, with great zest and mineral accents at a terrific price of about eight bucks. And from the South, I recommend Childress Sauvignon Blanc 2006 and Raffaldini Vermentino 2006, both from North Carolina and both $14; and Prince Michel Pinot Grigio 2006, from Virginia, $13.