Muscadet and BC Oysters

When autumn leaves start to fall, my foodie thoughts turn to oysters and Muscadet.  For the months that end with ‘R’, the oysters are in season.  They are most plump, juicy, and briny during those months.  Although I enjoy Muscadet from artisans throughout year, I appear to drink them more often during the autumn and winter months.


Of all the great places to purchase oysters, mussels or clams in our province, I often buy them at Lobster Man on Granville Island or you can write to this artisan oyster farmer and ask them the distributor of their treasures.  Shucking oysters takes some practice and, once you get it, you will have the skill for life - sort of riding a bicycle. 

The descriptor ‘artisan’ is an important factor when choosing a Muscadet because less than 5% of Muscadet is farmed organically and harvested by hand (according to Art of Eating Magazine, September 2010 issue).  A tried-and-true tradition that demands dedication.  The rest is industrially farmed with chemicals and machine- harvesters.  By the way, if you are a foodie and wine lover, I strongly recommend the magazine.  There is nothing else like it.

Joe Landron (DomainesLandron) and Marc Ollivier (La Pepiere) are two of a very few artisans remaining in Nantais – the region about 350 km southwest of Paris near the Atlantic coast where Muscadet is produced.  The grape varietal is Melon de Bourgogne.  For me, artisans simply mean organic farming, hand-harvesting, indigenous yeasts, and sur lie (aged on lees) for an extended time.  Extended sur-lie often gives extra roundedness and complexity.  You don’t have to be a wine expert to know the difference between an industrial plonk and artisanal Muscadet.  You’ll instinctively know the moment the wine touches your lips.

I remember the sommelier at the Le Comptoir in Paris when I dined there last autumn.  When asked for a recommendation for raw oysters, he said: “There may be greater wines than Muscadet but there are no greater wines than Muscadet with oysters, mussels or clams”.  The sommelier was humble and did not even mention the value.  His recommendation was the least expensive wine on the list.  Artisanal Muscadets are the greatest value of all French wines, which is just another reason why La Pepiere and Jo Landron Muscadets are my choices of white wines in my house.