Final Judgings
Thirty nine prominent food and wine experts and restauranteurs convened recently at the Water Grill in Los Angeles, Kuleto’s in San Francisco and Anthony’s HomePort in Seattle for the final judgings of 20 finalist wines as the conclusion to the month-long Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition
While oysters on the half shell are one of the fastest growing menu categories, few wines pair with the oyster’s vibrant combination of minerals, sweetness and the sea. That is why Taylor Shellfish Farms, the largest West Coast oyster grower, sponsors the annual Competition, a popular annual dating service for West Coast wines and oysters.
California, Oregon and Washington wineries were invited to submit their best “oyster wines”, typically dry, crisp, clean-finishing white wines. 124 wines (CA 72, OR 26, WA 26) were submitted this year. In both the Preliminary and Final Judgings, each wine is blind tasted with at least one Kumamoto oyster. Wine judges normally approach a wine by first smelling it, but here, judges are asked not to smell the wine before tasting the oyster so as not to form an impression of the wine before the oyster. Judges chew the oyster well so its various oceanic flavors go to every part of the palate, then smell and sip the wine rating the “bliss factor”. Judges look for a wine that doesn’t get in the way of the next oyster, so a crisp clean finish.
Judges select 10 equal winners.
Judging scores from the three cities are combined to determine the 10 equal 2013 “Oyster Award” winners. Judges selected one Oregon, two Washington and seven California wines including a dry Riesling, a dry Chenin Blanc, two lively refreshing Pinot Gris, and five crisp Sauvignon Blancs. “We are happy to see a clean-finishing style of wine emerge that oyster lovers recognize and appreciate”, says Taylor’s Jeff Pearson.
Taylor Shellfish Farms is pleased to congratulate the 2013 "Oyster Award" winners.
Award winning "Oyster Wines" enhance restaurant oyster culture.
With oysters on the half shell increasingly popular, restaurants serving oysters wait for results. "We are thankful to have this competition", says Lane Hoss, Beverage Director for Anthony's Restaurants.
For informaton on Taylor Shellfish Farms, visit www.taylorshellfish.com. For further informaton on the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition conact founder and organizer Jon Rowley, 206-963-5959 rowley@nwlink.com.
Competition Schedule
- March 22nd: Deadline for Entries
- March 25th-April 1st: Preliminary Judging at Anthony's HomePort at Shilshole Bay
- April 3rd: Finalists Notified
- April 23rd: Los Angeles Final Judging, WaterGrill
- April 24th: San Francisco Final Judging, Kuletos
- April 25th: Seattle Final Judging, Anthony's HomePort at Shilshole Bay
- April 29th: "Oyster Award" Winners are announced
"Oysters are a celebration...romantic, sexy, luminous...The right wine makes them even more so." Sheila Lukins
As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.
A Moveable Feast , Ernest Hemingway
For information on the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, contact Jon Rowley at 206.963.5959 or rowley@nwlink.com
































