The Médoc, famous for its wines and natural landscapes, also offers unique sensory experiences through its oysters. Prepare to dive into the world of this marine treasure of the Gironde during your stay at the Vieux Moulin campsite. On the program: discover the oyster in all its forms, from its breeding to its arrival on our plate.
Médoc oysters, from decline to renaissance
The activity around oysters is still very important in the Médoc. In the 1950s, around 400 oyster farmers installed along the Gironde estuary, supported more than 1000 families. At that time, the ports of Talais, that of Saint-Vivien and that of Soulac-sur-Mer were flooded with Médoc oysters.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the significant presence of cadmium in the waters of the estuary led to a ban on the refining of oysters in the Médoc salt marshes. Passionate people of the profession had to wait 20 years to be able to practice it again.
In 2014, after analyzes and studies carried out by scientists, it was demonstrated that the oyster is free of cadmium and that the water of the marshes and estuary is once again able to support the cultivation of oysters. ‘Oyster. Since then, Médoc oyster farmers have proudly taken up this activity for which the region is famous.
The “Médoc” labeled oyster, a real treat
Médoc oyster farmers created their own appellation, Claires du Médoc, recognized in 2016. Their oysters are prized for their slightly iodized flavor and their nutty taste. They are particularly fleshy and crunchy.
Médoc oysters have nothing to envy of those from Arcachon-Cap Ferret. The specificity of their production: they are raised on types of floating rafts which constantly maintain the oysters between two waters even if there is a change in water level. This allows the molluscs to benefit from the best nutrients in the pond.
Oyster farmers, like Bertrand Lung, based in Saint-Vivien, combine oyster farming with prawn farming. As a result, the prawns which remain at the bottom of the basin resuspend the nutrients essential to the oysters.
The Médoc marshes, a place of choice for refining oysters
In Gironde, you have oysters from Médoc, those from Cap Ferret as well as those from the Arcachon basin. But even the oyster farmers of Cap Ferret and the Arcachon basin prefer to come to the Médoc marshes for refining.
Here, the oyster eats constantly, the water has specific foods which make the oyster fleshier and softer in the mouth. In the newspaper Actu Bordeaux, published in June 2023, Damien Boulan boasts of being “the only oyster farmer in the Arcachon basin to have oysters matured in the marsh”.
To admire an oyster bed during your stay in Gironde, go to the port of Saint-Vivien-du-Médoc. You will find La Petite Canau just 15 minutes from the Vieux Moulin campsite in Vensac. On summer evenings, you are entitled to the on-site tasting of its Claire du Médoc oysters and its certified organic prawns. You can also go to Cap Ferret, about a two-hour drive from the campsite and an hour and a half from Bordeaux.
How to taste Médoc oysters?
Tasting oysters is a question of preference: savor them fresh in an estuary port in the morning, enjoy them as an aperitif with a seafood platter or eat them hot as a starter or main course.
What is certain is that oysters and AOC Bordeaux white wine go well together. Chablis, Riesling and Muscadet can also accompany your oyster tasting. In short, prefer dry and fruity white wines rather than red wines or sweet white wines.
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