Steve Feletti is behind Moonlight Flat Oysters and Borrowed Cuttings wine. Photo: Moonlight Flat Oysters.
Do you feel like the Narooma Oyster Festival is still too far away?
Well, a pop-up mini-festival coming to Batemans Bay this month to satisfy your oyster cravings until then.
The festival will showcase oyster art as well as offer Clyde River oysters paired with picpoul wines by Borrowed Cuttings from Cowra – and some may think it is a pairing made in heaven.
“It’s a knockout,” the wine company’s owner, Steve Feletti, said.
“It’s a bloody refreshing aperitif on a nice sunny day.
“I want to see if Batemans Bay and surrounding districts are ready for a cultural hub that focuses and highlights oysters, wine and oyster art.”
The former Canberran has previously spoken to Region about his oyster and wine journey, which resulted in winning medals at the world’s largest wine show, London’s Decanter.
He also owns Moonlight Flat Oysters in Batemans Bay and said he discovered wines using picpoul, which is a variety of grape, “totally by accident” when he was in France.
“It was too good of a match,” he said of the wine’s combination with oysters.
“It’s been a badge of honour to be associated with two regional towns and food production.”
Picpoul is from the Mediterranean region of southern France, where Mr Feletti said oysters are also grown hanging on ropes.
He said at the low tide, the wind could blow from the ropes to the vineyards, leaving behind a mist. This moisture then went into the grapes over hundreds of years.
The taste of picpoul white wine is described as fresh and dry, while Mr Feletti said it was citrusy and astringent.
“That’s the angle that interacts in the mouth with the fat out of an oyster,” he said.
Steve Feletti’s wines have won medals at London’s Decanter. Photo: David Rogers.
He also said there was a huge amount of still life artwork in the world that focused on oysters. In addition, he said the number of times photos of the shellfish were currently used in media, such as for restaurant openings, was amazing.
When asked why he thought this was the case, he said, “Oysters are sexy; oysters are scary to some people; oysters are alluring”.
“It’s eye-catching, put it that way!” he said.
There will be six picpoul wines on offer at the mini-festival and the oysters will either be from Mr Feletti’s farm or from a colleague’s on the same river.
The eclectic selection of oyster-themed artworks at the festival will be from Mr Feletti’s collection as well, including images of artworks in the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands and Musee d’Orsay in France.
“One is an image of an oil painting by Abraham Mignon with flat oysters that look more real than reality,” a media release on the festival says.
“Twelve French oyster posters will be on exhibition. The most beautiful is of a 19th-century oyster lady opening an oyster for a wealthy opera-going couple.”
The 90-minute pop-up mini-festival is on 25 January from 1 pm at Bay Pavilions Art Space at 12 Vesper Street, Batemans Bay.
Tickets are $50 and include two glasses of wine. To purchase and for more information, head to the Bay Pavilions website.
The Narooma Oyster Festival will be held from May 2 to 4. Tickets go on sale in February.
For more information, head to the Narooma Oyster Festival website.
Loading ...
