Umpqua Triangle oysters grow on ropes hung between two jetties at Winchester Bay, Oregon, where the Umpqua River meets the Pacific. They never touch the bottom.
Brine2/ 5
Sweetness4/ 5
Minerality2/ 5
Umami3/ 5
USA · Crassostrea gigas · finish sweet · lemon yes · 18–28 ppt · 8–16 °C · best October to April
Basic Profile
Origin
The Triangle, Winchester Bay, mouth of the Umpqua River, Oregon, USA
Species
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single-producer brand
Farming Method
Long-line suspension: spat on recycled shell, set into ropes hung in the water
Producer
Umpqua Aquaculture (Cindy Sardina and Vern Simmons)
Visual Signature
Pacific oyster grown in clusters on rope
The Triangle is a wedge of water enclosed by the two southern jetties at Winchester Bay, Oregon. Umpqua Aquaculture hangs its oysters there: spat settle on recycled oyster shells, the shells are set into ropes, and the ropes hang in 15-foot lengths.1
The harbor at Winchester Bay, Oregon, at the mouth of the Umpqua River. Photo: Visitor7 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Two Miles of Rope
The farm calls the hanging lines curtains, and there are nearly two miles of them, rising and falling with the tide. Oysters take two to four years to reach harvest, the smaller sizes in about two.1 Cindy Sardina and Vern Simmons own the farm.2
Flavor Breakdown
The water
River and ocean mix inside the jetties, and the oysters stay under water around the clock. They never sit in mud, so there is no bottom taste to get past.
The farm's words
Umpqua Aquaculture describes them as firm and "slightly salty-tasting".1 Our scores agree on the order: sweetness first, salt well behind.
What Makes Umpqua Triangle Unique
These oysters hang in open water between two jetties for their whole lives, in a spot where the Umpqua River pours into the Pacific.1
A sweet, low-salt Pacific for people who dislike muddy or metallic oysters. Buy them at the farm store in Winchester Bay, in the shell or shucked.
Should You Add Lemon?
Yes
There is little salt to protect, and a squeeze sharpens the sweetness.
Pairing Guide
1
Oregon Pinot Gris
Pear and acid for a sweet oyster, from the same state.
2
Light lager
For the shucked ones, fried or barbecued.
Optimal
Lemon
Acceptable
Mignonette
Avoid
Nothing stronger than hot sauce
Who Is This For?
Will love it
People who want sweetness over salt
Drivers on Highway 101 between Florence and Coos Bay
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