"Shuck & Duck" Special

in a Chablis mignonette

Roasted duck in a tangy, slightly sweet orange reduction

First up, from crisp rosé, to elegant bubbles, and all manner of refreshing white wines, there are quite a few great options for oysters. So even though a clean Provence rosé or fine Champagne would be beautiful companions for your bivalves, let’s go ultra-classic with the fantastic Sancerre from my friend Dominique Roger. No winegrower in the region is more admired by his peers than Dominique, whose outstanding Sancerre (grown on the Oxfordian limestone chalk of fossilized seashells that formed more than 150 years ago) has been featured prominently on our shelves for nearly three decades.

And just like with the oysters, there are many ways to go with duck, from superfine Burgundy Pinot Noir to muscular red Bordeaux. But since it’s springtime, let’s pick something on the more supple, juicy, and medium-bodied end of things. One of my favorite sleepers for duck is excellent cru Beaujolais, like the Moulin-à-Vent from my friend Clément Boillot. In this part of southern Burgundy, Gamay (the lesser-known cousin of Pinot Noir) reigns supreme, and Clément’s old vines give life to one of the prettiest, yet deeply complex expressions of the grape you’ll find anywhere in the world.