While Denver may be landlocked, that doesn’t stop the folks at Humboldt Farm Fish Wine in City Park West from serving up the best the oceans have to offer. That means delicious seafood and fish are flown in daily from the coasts. The easiest and tastiest way to sample the ocean's treats is to have a Humboldt Oysterology wine pairing.

Humboldt’s Oysterology was put together by Bar Manager Ryan Corey and features three different oysters paired with three different wines. The kicker? One of those pairings breaks all the rules because he uses a RED wine. More on that sin later. The Oysterology flights features three oysters, Washburn Petite, the Kusshi and the Kumamoto Oyster.

The Washburn is from Washburn Island, Massachusetts. Corey says the Washburn Petites are too small to be served in Massachusetts so they are shipped to Denver daily as Humboldt’s signature oysters. Corey says these East Coast oysters are robust because they get beat up in the Atlantic Ocean so only the fittest end on up plates. Guests will notice the shell is a bit more rugged, and the oysters have a higher salt content. The taste is earthy and gritty. The Wasburn is paired with the Gustave Lurentz Pinot Blanc Reserve from France, which is a very dry white wine. Corey suggests having the oyster first. Be sure to chew it a little bit before swallowing, and then take a sip of the wine. The match produces a salty and sweet pairing that compliments each other well. However, if one takes a sip of the wine without the oyster, guests will notice the wine is much, much drier and less sweet.

The Kusshi Oyster, which means “Ultimate” in Japanese, is a deep water Pacific oyster grown in British Columbia. It has a sweeter, creamier taste and texture, almost like a salty plum. The Kusshi is paired with the MaiMai Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Corey describes the MaiMai as having a lot of root characteristics with light acidity. When paired with the oyster the taste is similar to that of root vegetables. Sweet beets and carrots may come to mind. In this pairing, the Kusshi has the sweet and fruity taste while the wine is acidic and earthy. The MaiMai by itself is slightly tart.

The final pairing features the famous Kumamoto Oyster. While it is a native Japanese oyster, and quite delicious on its own, Humboldt’s Kumies come from California. Corey says they are grown coincidently in Humboldt Bay. The Kumies feature Corey’s boldest wine pairing, the Donatella Cinelli Columbini – Rosso Di Montalcino from Italy. This red wine is aged in old oak barrels for a limited time and has a fruity, raspberry/cherry scent. Corey chose the red because he wanted something completely different from what most people would normally pair with seafood. He says he sampled two dozen red wines before settling on the Rosso. Together these two are super fruity with earthy undertones. Interestingly, the wine is not nearly as sweet when sipped alone.

The Oysterology pairing is only $19 and available all day, every day. The three wines are three 3 oz. glasses, which make up about a glass and half total. Humboldt features over 100 wines on the menu and about 25 are available by the glass. The bar also has Prosecco on tap.

Happy shucking!

Photos by Carrie Dow