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102 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2015 Tasting Methodology As selected site for our oyster and Chardonnay encounter, Stillwater Fish House & Oyster Bar commands one of the highest volumes of half-shell oyster sales in the Pacific Northwest. Established in 2012, the restaurant's unlikely location in the Northwest corner of Montana, snuggled up against Glacier National Park and Whitefish Mountain Resort Ski Area, provides sev- eral million visitors every year. "Everyone thought we were crazy," shares Jesse Felder, owner/General Manager of what the locals simply call "The Fish House." When The SOMM Journal presented the challenge of this article, Chris Bernardi of Pacific Seafood Inc. generously supported the effort with nine of their standard offerings covering a wide range of oyster textures and flavors. Ten panel members with vari- ous certificates and ratings con- fronted the nine oyster varieties with an international selection of 30 Chardonnays. With tre- mendous distributor and winery support, the call for candidates yielded a selection of wines with a full range of characters and constructions. Representing Italy, France, South Africa, California, Washington State and Oregon, the wines were fermented in all ranges of vessels, spiced with oak programs and grown in varied soil types. Evaluating the oysters with Chardonnay was conducted in three flights. The panel was divided into two teams, and each took the burden of half the total wines. Once the panels had pared back the wines expected to be "non-oyster," the group as a whole received each type of oyster with commentary by Felder on the character, texture and history of each oyster. The final wines where then combined with each type of oyster in a gregarious exchange of commentary and argument. Ultimately, two of the original finalist wines were rejected, one of which had been among the highest- scoring Chardonnays evaluated by the first panel. Additionally, a previously rejected wine was brought back into the panel by clear consensus. This wine turned out to be the Joseph Drouhin Rully. The Half-Shell Scoop There are only a handful species of oyster grown as half-shell products in North America. Crassostera gigas, Crassostera sikamea and Crassostera virginica provide the lion's share of all oyster seed in North America. The sikamea produces the world famous Kumamato, which originated in Japan but is now primarily grown in American and Canadian waters. All other oysters are either gigas or virginica and their names are usually derived from place names, essentially applia- tions, where they are grown. Penn Cove, Hood Canal and Sunset Beach have obvious place names; Naked Roy's Beach oysters are named for a stretch of north Puget Sound where a locally famous character named Roy would rollerblade while working on his whole-body tan. Kusshis, while Asian in sound, are actually downsized Steller Bays. The flavors, textures, brininess and shell structure are all determined by the water, method and temperature in which they are grown. "Citified" oysters have smooth, easy-to-work shells and mild, sometimes- murky flavor due to their pampered home environments. Oysters that exhibit sharp rough shells and bracing, briny, firm-fleshed meats most likely come from turbulent ocean activity with colder temperatures and overall greater extremes. So what about the wine? In short, Kaleigh's succinct statement "bones of minerality" echoes to the walls. After four hours of wine and oysters, the clearly favorite wine Adrienne Felder of Stillwater Fish House & Oyster Bar hones in on a pairing as Dan Vogel of The SOMM Journal, CSW, CMS Certified Sommelier, chronicles the journey. Jesse Felder, Owner of Stillwater Fish House & Oyster Bar, tends to the first round of shucking. Eric Anderson, Wine Manager of Fun Beverage Inc., CSW, CSM Level 1. Lively discussion and debate ensues as we draw closer to the big reveal. (Left to right): Jesse Felder, Owner of Stillwater Fish House & Oyster Bar; Gene Castellino, Wine Manager of Whitefish Liquor Store; Jennifer Lewis of Intermountain Distributing, CMS Certified Sommelier; Kaleigh Brook Vrapi, owner of When in Rome Restaurant, CMS & ISG Certified Sommelier; Peter Grantz, Intermountain Distributing; Kevin Dodd, Executive Sous Chef at Latitude 48 (a Bill Foley restaurant.)