 Mollusks
of Love
By Andrew B. Campbell
What comes to mind when thinking about
Valentine’s Day? Is it the usual…flowers, some dinner and
chocolate? It’s time to liven the day up with WineSquire.com’s
favorite aphrodisiac: Oysters! As everybody knows,
oysters are the most popular of aphrodisiacs. They have been a
favorite of food lovers throughout the centuries, beginning with the
Roman emperors who paid for them by their weight in gold. Casanova
ate 50 raw oysters every morning with his mistress of the moment, in
a bathtub designed for two.
Whether oysters truly have exciting properties is open to debate,
but like all seafood, they contain high amounts of phosphorus and
iodine, which are believed to be conducive to stamina. Author and
food maven
M.F.K. Fisher wrote, "There are many reasons why an oyster is
supposed to have this desirable quality.... Most of them are
physiological, and have to do with an oyster's odor, its
consistency, and probably its strangeness."
I have recently enjoyed my first oyster at a wine tasting in a
popular Seattle downtown restaurant. (Click
here for some local oyster bars.) At the urging of my wine
co-tasters, I choked down a very small raw oyster and after a few
seconds washed it down with a wine that we were tasting at the time.
While I didn’t feel any sexier, the match of the raw salty oyster
with the acids of the wine was very sexy and appealing indeed!
(Maybe we needed a few more oysters for me...) What better way to
increase chances of intimacy on your Valentine’s Day than with an
oyster aphrodisiac and wine? They are match made in heaven, and are
very enjoyable to consume. If you want to try this at home, you
can find any number of oyster recipes at
Epicurious.com. And of course, whether you are at home or
sampling oysters at a romantic restaurant, we wouldn't dream of
leaving you without guidance toward a good matching wine. Here are
some great wines to go with our aphrodisiac of choice this
Valentine’s Day: Sherwood Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2000 (New
Zealand) $11
This New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is just plain great. It has lush
fruit, with typical citrus and lemon flavors and a mouthful of
asparagus on the finish, balanced by great minerals and acid.
Gray Monk Pinot Gris 2000 (Canada) $9
With a nice viscous mouth-feel, this bright dry white is chock full
of apple, pear and flinty flavors and a crisp finish. A must have
with shellfish, lemon chicken or by itself. Moet & Chandon Brut
Imperial Non-Vintage (France) $44
There is some graceful notes on the nose: perfume, flowers and
spice. It has a creamy mouth-feel with a honeyed, subtle, sexy
finish. This is a great Non-Vintage Brut! Freemark Abbey
Chardonnay Napa Valley 1999 (California) $17
This Chardonnay from the Napa Valley is ripe, rich and full-bodied,
with layers of toasty pear, tangerine, butter and cream, holding its
flavors on a long detailed finish. A good value from a great
producer! To highlight the depth of oyster lore in our society,
and to demonstrate connections you may not have realized, here is a
poem by Shel Silverstein I hope you will enjoy:
Now, listen to me, folks…
Here what I say.
You got to eat oysters everyday
They’ll put your love life back on track
They’re nature’s own aphrodisiac.
Ohh…ohhh…yes it’s true
What a little oyster can do for you.
Ohh…ohhh…ain’t it fun
Here’s some things those oysters done…
They made Jim Beam
They made Allen Thick
They made Jonathon Swift
And they made Gracie Slick
They made Victor Mature
And they made Tom Petty
They started Willie Waylon
And they got Helen Reddy.
They made Tom Cruise
They made Oscar Wilde
They gave Gary Hart
But they gave Gomer Piles
They made William Hurt
They made Lucille Ball
They made Wilson Picket
And that ain’t all.
Ohh…ohhh…yes it’s true
What a little oyster can do for you.
Ohh…ohhh…ain’t it fun
Here’s some more those oysters done…
They made Stevie Wonder
And they made old John Wayne
They made Saul Bellow
And they made Thomas Paine
Turned Clint Black
And turned Barry White
Made Doris’ Day
And Gladys’ Knight.
They gave Bob Hope
They gave Percy Faith
They made Marvin Gaye
But they made George Straight
They made Bobby’s Short
And Lester’s Flatt
And hey…they even did more than that.
Ohh…ohhh…yes it’s true
What a little oyster can do for you.
Ohh…ohhh…ain’t it fun
Here’s some more those oysters done…
They got George Bush
They made Bozo a Clown
They got Bobby Bare
And made Ezra Pound
They made Gallo Wine
They made Merle Haggart
They made Andy Devine
They made Jimmy Swagger
They made Rich Little
And made Hughie Long
They made BB King
And they made Neil’s Armstrong
And if you ask my wife,
She’ll tell you quite gaily
Best of all they made old Pat Daily.
Ohh…ohhh…yes it’s true
What a little oyster can do for you.
Ohh…ohhh…ain’t it fun
That’s all about oysters
Now we’re done.
-Shel Silverstein |
