On a fall afternoon, as the North Fork’s vineyards are amid their annual harvest, Sparkling Pointe (39750 County Road 48, Southold, 631-765-0200) will shift its focus from grapes to another product of Long Island’s maritime landscape.
The Southold winery will host its annual Local Oyster Showcase at 3 p.m. on Oct. 4, bringing together six oyster farms, six East End restaurants and Sparkling Pointe’s sparkling wines for an interactive walk-around tasting.
Sparkling Pointe focuses exclusively on traditional method sparkling wines. The winery’s vineyards span 40 sustainably farmed acres across three sites on the North Fork, with plantings centered on the classic Champagne varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The region’s maritime climate and glacial, sandy-loam soils are part of what the winery identifies as the environmental character that influences its wines.
For the oyster showcase, that local sense of place extends to the water.
This year’s oyster-farm partners are Davy Jones Shellfish Co. of Peconic, Founders Oyster Farm of Southold, Great Gun Oysters of East Moriches, O’Brien Oyster Co. of Fire Island, Oysterponds Shellfish Co. of Orient, and Peconic Gold Oysters of Cutchogue. Restaurant partners are Cowfish of Hampton Bays, El Verano in Southampton, The Frisky Oyster of Greenport, Hellenic Restaurant in East Marion, Little Fish in Southold and First & South from Greenport.
Each pairing will have its own station. Guests will receive a card listing the pairings and can move among the stations at their own pace, receiving a punch at each stop. At each stop, the participating farmer will shuck the oyster fresh, while the restaurant chef prepares the same oyster in a cooked variation.
The result is a chance to taste two dozen oysters, raw and prepared, alongside a six-wine Sparkling Pointe flight. The prepared oysters will include grilled, roasted and fried variations, with chefs using mignonettes and other toppings.
The organizers view the format as both social and educational. Oyster flavor can vary depending on where the shellfish are grown, just as grapes reflect the environmental conditions of a vineyard. That makes comparing oysters from different local farms part of the experience.
Sparkling wine is a natural counterpart because the oysters’ salinity and brininess complement the wine’s acidity, while its bubbles refresh the palate.
For the winery, the showcase also strengthens connections among local producers. Sparkling Pointe considers oyster farmers natural counterparts to its own agricultural operation, and the event offers a way to put the region’s aquaculture and agricultural products on the same table.
Tickets are $115 per person, or $100 for Sparkling Pointe wine club members. Admission includes the six-wine tasting and 24 oysters. Additional wine, oysters, food and merchandise will be available for purchase.
Advance tickets are required so participating farmers and restaurants can plan their quantities. Tickets should be purchased by Sept. 30.
The event will conclude with a round of song from Ethel’s Mermen, a local (mostly) a cappella group, that sings both historical and original seafaring songs, offering guests the chance to linger over more sparkling wine after the tasting.
