Oysters, the perfect food?

Spoiler alert! The answer is "yes"! I mean c'mon, think about all the lovely ways you can enjoy these succulent little (sometimes large) bivalves! Poached in a silky creamy stew until they are like tender pillows of joy, fried in a light batter so they explode salty, creamy goodness in your mouth (minds out of the gutter please and thank you), even grilled and served with melted butter, smokey and dripping in liquid gold! But the best way to enjoy these creatures of the sea is raw. Straight up, cold and briny.
Now the issue that often arises here is what accompaniment to serve with your half shells. Many people prefer cocktail sauce and I used to be among them, zingy horseradish and sweet salty ketchup are tasty, but for me smother the oyster which is the thing that I want to be tasting. On the opposite side of things are the purists, aka. no sauce necessary, I've walked that path as well. But ultimately for me I think the best way is with a little splash of Mignonette sauce, which generally consists of fresh chopped shallot, mixed peppercorn, dry white wine and lemon juice or vinegar. This sauce enhances the oyster, brings it's flavors out even more, the way salt does in recipes. So I've included two recipes below for Mignonette, a classic that takes just a few minutes and an even faster version, both are so easy it's crazy.

I will be vacationing in Maine in a week and a half and I will be whipping up a super fast batch and splashing it on as many oysters as I can get my hands on!
I will, of course, be consuming a variety of wines while in Maine (it is vacation right?). But one in particular will be starring alongside my plate of oysters, Muscadet, an oysters best friend. The Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu from Domaine les Hautes Noelles is my pick. Serge Batard crafts intense Muscadet that displays all of the zippy acidity and stony minerality you'd expect from the seaside appellation in the Loire. He avoids the use of chemical fertilizers and weed killers and hand-harvests the 100% Melon de Bourgogne. As the name suggests this grape variety has origins in Burgundy though the grape is so associated with the Muscadet appellation of the western Loire that the grape itself is often known as such.

The nose emits pear and apricot fruit aromas with a stony edge. On the palate it displays lovely mouthwatering acidity and freshness. Flavors in the mouth taste like a kiwi bashed against a granite slab. It's easy to see why it pairs so beautifully with the briny oyster, (and shellfish in general) that mineral quality mimicking a seashell. Together these things are perfection for me, tasting the sea and a blast of fresh, super cold white wine...it tingles the tongue and curls the toes.

Classic Mignonette (slightly less fast version):
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon vinegar (I like Sherry, red or white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar)
1 shallot, finely chopped
black pepper to taste
coarse sea salt as needed

~Place wine and vinegar in saucepan and reduce to one-half. Turn off the heat and stir in the shallot, white pepper and salt as needed (remember: oysters tend to be salty). Set aside to steep. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Mignonette (super speedy version):
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
3 tablespoons finely minced shallots
2/3 cup vinegar (again Sherry, red or white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar)

~Mix all ingredients together, serve, ta da!