{"id":27640,"date":"2016-08-09T06:41:32","date_gmt":"2016-08-09T10:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=27640"},"modified":"2016-08-24T09:15:24","modified_gmt":"2016-08-24T13:15:24","slug":"merroir-terroir-oyster-wine-pairing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/merroir-terroir-oyster-wine-pairing\/","title":{"rendered":"Merroir, it\u2019s a Thing. A Tasty, Tasty Thing; Wine and Oyster Pairings"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Rebecca Me\u00efr-Liebman of\u00a0Chef & Somm<\/p>\n

Photos by Signe Langford\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oenophiles have always understood the concept of terroir; food- lovers are grasping this taste of place, too.Ingredients are just as terroir-driven as wine, sometimes the connection to the soil, sun, and air is even more pronounced in a cheese or a cacao bean than in a particular wine!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And, what if that taste of place \u2013or terroir\u2013 is underwater? Well, until I met with Patrick McMurray, author, oyster expert and shucking champion, I was unaware of how much terroir- or, rather, <\/span><\/span>merroir<\/i><\/span><\/span>-driven these beautiful bivalves are.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Joining him at his east end Toronto Irish pub,\u00a0Ceili Cottage<\/a>, he started by showing me the correct way to taste an oyster. We\u2019re not sure who decided oysters should be swallowed whole and fast, but we suspect they weren\u2019t oyster lovers. To really appreciate the subtle and delightful flavours a few chews are needed. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Next, draw in a little air, which allows the flavours to develop fully on the palate. Then swallow. See, just like tasting a great wine!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

McMurray\u2019s love for oysters and merroir is clear <\/span><\/span>and<\/i><\/span><\/span> contagious, \u201cNo other food has so much of its environment captured in it. Everything that is in the air and water is captured in the oyster for 5 years; it\u2019s a snap shot in time.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the most disheartening things McMurray faces are folks who automatically drown their oysters in mignonette, or even worse, hot sauce. \u201cTry it the way Mother Nature intended,\u201d says McMurray, \u201con its own; don\u2019t ruin the delicate flavours of the oyster.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Armed with my newfound appreciation for this plentiful delicacy, I decided to put oyster and wine pairings to the test. True, sparkling wine will work with most species of oyster, but then, you knew that already, didn\u2019t you? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To make this challenge interesting, I opened six wines \u2013 a Sancerre<\/a>, an off dry Niagara Riesling<\/strong><\/a>, a Late Harvest Riesling, a Shiraz<\/a>, a Merlot and a Gamay \u2013 while McMurray shucked five different types of oyster from around the world.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, keep in mind, oysters are affected by temperature and season, so, the same oyster may taste and feel different at various times of the year, and therefore, the pairing will have to be adjusted accordingly. But, sitting on McMurray\u2019s lovely patio in springtime, here\u2019s what I discovered\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n\"oly<\/b><\/p>\n

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Green Gables oysters, Prince Edward Island, Canada <\/b><\/span><\/span>\u2013 Small oysters with moderate salinity, perfectly balanced, with a delicate slightly sweet finish. Thanks to its sweetness it works beautifully with a nicely chilled off dry Riesling. Try it with <\/span><\/span>Charles Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>($35.20)<\/span><\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ruisseau oysters, Nova Scotia, Canada <\/b><\/span><\/span>\u2013 An average sized oyster with low salinity, and a meaty texture. Since this oyster shares similar meaty, animal characteristics with Gamay, they complement each other very well. It\u2019s great also with Sancerre, thanks to the Ruisseau oyster’s clean, ivory flesh. <\/span><\/span>Malivoire Gamay ($15.95)<\/span>\u00a0is my preferred choice here, but to shake things up a bit, go red: <\/span><\/span>Adamo Estate Winery<\/a> Gamay Reserve<\/b><\/span><\/span>. Buy directly from the winery ($28.65)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hummock Oysters, Connecticut shore, USA <\/b><\/span><\/span>\u2013 Medium in size with a mild to moderately strong flavour, this oyster can hold its own against an oak-aged Chardonnay; interestingly, it was awful with Riesling! Pair with <\/span><\/span>Buehler Vineyards<\/a>, Russian River Valley Chardonnay<\/b><\/span><\/span>. Rogers & Co. Wines ($34.95)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"IMG_4687\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Jersey Rock Oysters, UK <\/b><\/span><\/span>\u2013 These British bivalves boast fresh sea air on the nose, brine on the palate, and a crisp texture. The salty flavours call for wine with lots of sweetness<\/span><\/span> and fruitiness; off dry riesling just isn’t sweet enough. A late harvest riesling is the perfect match. Try it with an icy bottle of <\/span><\/span>Cave Spring Indian Summer Late Harvest<\/span><\/span> Riesling<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0($24.95)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

West Mersea Oysters, UK <\/b><\/span><\/span>\u2013 Very briny on the nose, robust and complex on the palate, with nutty, buttery notes, and a medium sweet finish; the texture is meaty and firm. Surprisingly, none of the white wines I poured worked with this oyster, even the gamay noir wasn’t big enough for this bruiser! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, it was Oz to the rescue, with a bold shiraz, perfect for taming the bossy flavours. Bonus: the oyster enhanced the taste of the wine; bringing out all the wines\u2019 fruitiness and leaving any harsh tannins behind. <\/span><\/span>Do<\/i><\/span><\/span> try this at home, either go for the Australian, or give an Ontario red a go: <\/span><\/span>Rosewood Estates Merlot<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/b>($21.95)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Rebec\"Rebeccaca Meir-Liebman<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sommelier & Consultant<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As co-owner of Chef & Somm<\/a>, the GTA\u2019s only Bespoke Private Dining and Sommelier service, Rebecca has acquired over a decade of experience in some of Canada\u2019s \u2013 and the world\u2019s \u2013 top dining rooms.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She earned her hospitality, service\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>and sommelier skills at top restaurants \u2013 Canoe, Luma, BL\u00dc Ristorante and Maple Leafs Sport & Entertainment \u2013 but Rebecca is always learning, tasting, and cultivating relationships with winemakers, local and abroad.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her thirst for wine knowledge is a never-ending quest; Rebecca brings an unquenchable curiosity and authority to any dining experience.\u00a0www.ChefSomm.ca<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rebecca Me\u00efr-Liebman of\u00a0Chef & Somm Photos by Signe Langford\u00a0 Oenophiles have always understood the concept of terroir; food- lovers are grasping this taste of place, too.Ingredients are just as terroir-driven as wine, sometimes the connection to the soil, sun, and air is even more pronounced in a cheese or a cacao bean than in a particular wine! And, what if that taste of place \u2013or terroir\u2013 is underwater? Well, until I met with Patrick McMurray, author, oyster expert and shucking champion, I was unaware of how much terroir- or, rather, merroir-driven these beautiful bivalves are. Joining him at his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218248,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,1105,946,10,1229,246,424,16,372,333,211,955,394,152,26,302,1063],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-wines","category-canadian-wine-wine-region","category-chardonnay","category-food-wine-pairing","category-gamay-wine","category-the-great-canadian-wine-match","category-merlot-wine","category-pairings","category-red-wine","category-riesling","category-shiraz","category-summer-wine","category-white-wine","category-wine-oysters","category-wine-picks","category-wine-price","category-wine-style"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/218248"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27640"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28783,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27640\/revisions\/28783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}