Best Oysters, Best Wines

Puget Sound is home to some of the world's best oyster beds, thanks to cold, clean water and nutrient-rich runoff from the Cascades and the Olympics. Ya got your Kumamotos, your Pacifics, your Olympias, your Virginicas. Yup, Virginicas, "east coast" oysters whose seed was brought to Washington by transcontinental train nearly a century ago, grown on the banks of Totten Inlet. And, get this: in a blind tasting last week, sponsored by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, those "west coast" Virginicas were judged number one. "Stunning" said Rowan Jacobsen, author of The Geography of Oysters. Local grower Bill Taylor, president of Taylor Shellfish Farms, was humble: "A thrill to have our oysters appreciated by such an esteemed panel."

Meantime, oyster guru Jon Rowley has announced the top oyster wines after a three-state competition. Chateau Ste. Michelle's sauvignon blanc and Willamette Valley Vineyards' pinot gris head the list of repeat winners, along with newcomers from Amity, Covey Run, Simi and Clos du Bois. Complete list of winners here.