Ep 329: Muscadet - The Overlooked White of the Loire

<p>The wine world often looks at Muscadet with disdain for its lighter body and subtlety of flavor. But for white wine lovers who care less about showiness and want something with the interplay of acidity with nutty, bread flavors and soft textures, this historic wine is a thrill. There is far more to this wine than there used to be, as it has continued to improve since the 1980s and seems to get better every year.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a title="From Vins-Loire" href= "https://www.vinsvaldeloire.fr/en/wine/muscadet-coteaux-de-la-loire" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/muscadet_coteaux_de_la_loire.jpg" alt="" width="283" height="400" /><em><span style= "font-size: 8pt;">Source: Vins Val de Loire</span></em></a></p> <p>This week we discuss this westernmost area of Loire Valley, which lies along the banks of the river and its tributaries. We review Muscadet and the grape Melon -- its storied history – from being a defiled grape in Burgundy (it was outlawed in 1567!), to finding its place in the Loire (albeit with a strange name), to moving from just a grape to be distilled to a legitimate wine that, at the top end, can age more than a decade.</p> <p><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/muscadetmap.jpg" alt= "" width="250" height="236" /></p> <p>Here are a few of the show notes that you may have missed:</p> <ul> <li>Muscadet is not the name of the grape (that’s Melon de Bourgogne) or a place (that’s the Pays Nantais) but it is a huge part of the AOC system and there are many appellations named after it.</li> <li>The maritime climate in the Muscadet area makes it warmer than other parts of the Loire – the Gulf Stream, the river, and the humidity make for a more consistent temperature. But the perils of this area are many – rain, frost, ice storms, hail are all possible and can be devastating to the vines.</li