🌊 Livestream Recap: A Coastal Wine Conversation with Nils Lackner
Maritime wines, oysters, and why place matters
Our 1st Wine Wednesday of 2026 took us straight to the coast, with Nils Lackner joining us from Sylt (snowstorm included). We talked maritime wines, oysters, underwater aging, and why some wines just feel better next to the sea.
If you missed it live, here are a few highlights:
🦪 A Sommelier Who Actually Knows Oysters
Nils has one of those paths that only makes sense once you hear it. Hospitality first, then wine, then nearly a decade of traveling, and eventually oysters thanks to living on Sylt, Germany’s northernmost island and the country’s only oyster-producing region.
Yes, German oysters are a thing. Yes, they’re called Sylter Royal. And yes, salinity came up a lot.
🌊 Maritime Wine, From Terroir to the Sea
One of the best moments of the conversation came when Nils reframed what “maritime wine” actually means.
It’s not just about distance to the sea. It’s about how people live near the sea.
Ports, trade routes, and food culture shape what wines make sense in coastal places. Bordeaux came up, island wines came up, and so did the idea that producers near water often work with freshness and balance rather than power.
That naturally led us to underwater aging.
Nils walked through why the ocean gets used at all: darkness, cold, stable temperature, and low oxygen. Roman amphorae, modern Champagne experiments, and different styles of evolution all made an appearance.
We got to talking about real life example when I pulled out a bottle my brother got me from Benjamin Bridge, coming directly from my home country of Nova Scotia, Canada. And yes, the bottle itself tells a story. Which, as Nils pointed out, is very much part of why people care.
🍋 Oysters: What People Get Wrong
A few things that stuck to me:
The “months with an R” rule exists for a reason
Winter oysters taste different for very real biological reasons
Lemon isn’t mandatory (Nils always goes for various of vinagrette)
And please, chew your oysters
We also talked about a small detail I loved: using a tiny spray bottle with sherry, aquavit, or whisky instead of drowning the oyster in acid.
Also worth repeating: oysters filter around 190 liters of water per day. Which makes them quietly impressive beyond the plate.
🥂 Pairing Beyond Champagne
Champagne came up, of course - and yes, it works. However, Nils kept circling back to wines that match oysters through tension and texture: Muscadet, Picpoul de Pinet, Albariño and of course very dry sherry (hello Palomino fino).
Even stout beer made an appearance in the conversation. The common thread was freshness, restraint, and structure — not weight.
If you missed it and want to hear more, here is the replay 👉https://www.youtube.com/live/WWNilsLackner
🇮🇹 One More Thing Before We Go
If you enjoyed this coastal deep dive, we’re keeping the conversation going tonight.
I’ll be live on Instagram at 9pm CET with Filippo Magnani to talk all things Brunello di Montalcino — the region, the producers, and our Spring Brunello trip.
If you’re curious about Brunello, or want a closer look at what we’re planning for the trip, come join us live.
🔔 Register to get notified → https://luma.com/brunello_live
📺 Connect to @clubdvin or @the.wine.girl on Instagram at 9pm CET
Hope to see you there.
Cheers,
Jana
Co-founder, dVIN Labs