Muscadet and Oysters

If we whizz down to the western end of France's Loire Valley (the eastern end is where Sancerre comes from) we will find the home of Muscadet wines. Muscadet is the perfect oyster wine. It has moderate alcohol levels (by law under 12%) which encourages food matching.

Muscadet and oysters has to be one of the greatest examples of complementary matching ever. Both the wine and the oysters share a mineral edge, bright, brisk flavours and a lightness on the palate. The interplay of acid and salt in the mouth is a gentle contrasting note that helps bind the two elements of this match together perfectly.

Last weekend I lined up four different oyster types, six different Muscadets, and let rip with the combinations. I served the first dozen oysters raw, the second also raw and with lemon, the third dozen I gilled with some fennel butter, and the last dozen I topped with spinach, parsley, cheese and a butter sauce and baked them. I served the wines at around 10 degrees.

Any of these would work as an entree course, but having the different oyster and wine types was just spectacular. My favourites were the oysters with fennel, which seemed to go best with a 2006 Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet Cuvee Classique.