The winners of the 2010 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition were announced last week!  Take advantage of a great opportunity to showcase oysters and wine in your restaurant or retail market.

The winning wines were judged by how well they paired with tiny and tasty Kumamoto oysters.  Check your wine list – are you carrying any of the winners?  Here’s the list of winning wines:

Acrobat 08 Pinot Gris (OR)

Anne Amie Vineyards 09 Pinot Gris (OR) 

Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvee A 09 Müller-Thurgau (OR)

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery 08 Sauvignon Blanc (WA)

CMS White 08 (WA)

Columbia Winery 08 Pinot Gris (WA)

Franciscan Estates 08 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

Heitz Wine Cellars 09 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

King Estate Winery 08 Pinot Gris (OR)

Kunde Family Estate 09 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

 If you’re not carrying any of these wines, it might be a good time to start!

Take a minute this week to get your servers and/or sommelier on board, and make sure they are comfortable talking with customers about both oysters and wine.   If you don’t have oysters on your menu (gasp!) this might be the perfect time to offer some Kumamotos on the half-shell.   Why not offer a special that features a dozen oysters with a glass of one of the winning wines?  We can’t think of a more perfect way to start a meal…

 Retailers, try something similar; offer 2 dozen Kumamoto oysters paired with a bottle of one of the winners – this is a great opportunity to work on some cross merchandising and increase everyone’s sales! Are you doing anything fun with oysters and wine in your restaurant or retail shop? Let us know!