Oysters and Wine
By St. Supery winery chef, Ron Barber

Oysters have been enjoyed by people for centuries. Both the ancient Greeks and Romans served them with wine and praised them for their aphrodisiac powers. They have often been associated with love. Oysters were so valued by Roman emperors that they paid for them by their weight in gold.

Make sure that the oysters you buy are very fresh and discard any that are open.  Store oysters in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days maximum.

My favorite way to serve oysters is au natural (the oysters, not me).  Wash the oysters well and insert an oyster knife at the hinge.  Apply a little pressure and pop the shell open.  Serve with one of the sauce recipes below or just a squeeze of lemon. Barbequed oysters are also delicious.  Just toss them on a heated BBQ grill with the flat side up.  In about 5 minutes they will pop open.  Using an oven mitt or a towel you can pry the shell open the rest of the way and top with your favorite BBQ sauce, Tabasco or lemon juice.

Try some oysters on the half shell with our Sauvignon Blanc and you will understand why we won the Oyster Award at the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition in 2005.

Please join us at the winery for one of our oyster and wine events including: Tank Tasting in the Cellar with Oysters, and Romance in the Cellar – A pre-Valentine’s Day Celebration

Classic Mignonette Sauce

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup white or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients and chill.

Oysters with Cucumber & Pickled Ginger Salsa

1 cup English cucumber – peeled and finely diced
5 tablespoons pickled ginger – finely chopped
¼ cup red onion – finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro leaves – finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour.