Appellation: Muscadet
Muscadet is named for the grape from which it is made rather than its place of origin. Muscadet is an archaic name for the Melon de Bourgogne, which was brought to the Loire centuries ago from Burgundy, where it is no longer grown. It flourished in the Pays Nantais, producing wines that perfectly reflect their maritime environment, and which make a natural partner for the superlative Belon oysters of Brittany.
Muscadet is the largest white wine appellation in France and includes three regional appellations, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu. Each winery must have its wines approved by an official tasting board before it can use the appellation.
Wines that are produced and aged in accordance with certain strict guidelines, may be designated Muscadet Sur Lie. Keeping the wine on the lees (or sur lie) all winter, allows the wine's aromas to develop, and carbonic gas produced by this process imparts a liveliness on the palate. Only wines made from the best vineyards are permitted to use the Sur Lie designation.
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Loire365 Factoid
What's In A Name?
Long before the concept of varietals had been invented (and when the same grape often had many different names), French winegrowers and wine makers had discovered that wines from one village or vineyard were very different from wines from the neighboring village or hillside. This is why French wines (including those of the Loire Valley) are identified by “appellations” or place names rather than by the grapes from which they are made. The words Appellations d’Origine Controlee, or the letters AOC on a label indicate that a wine is made in accordance with strict regulations that allow the producer to use the appellation.
