Washington, DC (November 11, 2009) -- Old Ebbitt Grill's fifteenth-annual Oyster Riot will take place November 20th and 21st from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at 675 15th Street, NW, Washington, D.C., phone: 202-347-4800. Tickets are $126.50 per person (all inclusive and sold out) affording participants unlimited oysters, wines, and beer from Magic Hat - #9 and Howl. Almost 1000 guests are anticipated each night as the event is an oyster-lover's fantasy with over 50,000 shucked oysters, representing 24 varieties from both coasts including Thatch Island, Barnstable Harbor, ME; Matunuk, Potters Pond, RI; Gold Creek, Hood Canal, WA; Kumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA; and Olympia, Totten Inlet, WA.

An impressive list of 253 wines from around the world were entered in this year's competition by winemakers and importers. Within the United States, 114 wines were submitted from six states. Wineries from 10 other countries entered a total of 139 wines including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain were sampled to determine the medal winners.

This year, seven of the top ten winning wines hail from New Zealand, with California, France, and Spain each having one gold medal winner. The Sauvignon Blanc grape dominated the competition, accounting for eight of the top ten wines. The 15 judges who gathered on November 9th included people from the fields of wine, food, television, sports, law, medicine and journalism. They each blind-tasted twenty finalists and scored each on their affinity for raw Olympia oysters. Their gold medal winner was the Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand, with first runner-up, The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand, and second runner-up, Fantail Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand also receiving generous scores.

All 10 gold medal wines will be poured at the Oyster Riot, and will be the featured by the glass and bottle, throughout the coming year, at the Old Ebbitt Grill, and at the oyster bars at Clyde's of Gallery Place, Clyde's at Mark Center and Tower Oaks Lodge. Furthermore, all the wines entered for the 2009 competition that were not among the gold medal winners, are also available to sample both evenings, so guests can judge for themselves their ideal oyster and wine pairing.

Our Distinguished Panel of Judges
Jose Andres, Michael Apstein, Bruce Boudreau, Andrew Dornenburg, Bart Farrell, Michael Franz, David Hagedorn, Tom Meyer, Andy Myers, Kaz Okochi, Karen Page, Chip Reid, Phyllis Richman, Richard Wolffe, Thomas Yannucci