"owned operations that do a lot of estate bottling. The mid 1990s saw an increase in the number of négociant and co-operative to where now about half of Sancerre and almost 80% of Muscadet is bottled by a négociant or co-op. Loire Valley (wine) The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of Anjou, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon,"
"Muscadelle Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated. DNA analysis has indicated that Muscadelle is a cross between Gouais blanc and an unidentified grape variety. In France, it is a minor constituent in the dry and sweet wines of Bordeaux, such as Sauternes. It rarely makes up more than 10% of the blend, which is dominated by Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc. Throughout the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century, plantings of the grape were falling. Some"
"Enfin, Guepie, Guilan Doux, Guilan Muscat, Guilan Musque, Guillan, Guillan Musque, Guinlhan Musque, Marmesie, Marseillais, Muscade, Muscadela, Muscadelle de Bordelais, Muscadet, Muscadet Doux, Muscalea, Muscat Fou, Musquette, Pedro Ximenes Krimsky, Raisimotte, Raisin de Musco, Raisinote, Raisinotte, Rousselou, Sauvignon à Gros Grains, Sauvignon Muscadelle, Sauvignon vert, Tokay, Vesparo, and White Angelica. Muscadelle Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated. DNA analysis has indicated that Muscadelle is a cross between Gouais blanc and an unidentified grape variety. In France, it"
"Melon de Bourgogne Melon de Bourgogne or Melon is a variety of white grape grown primarily in the Loire Valley region of France. It is also grown in North America. It is best known through its use in the white wine Muscadet. In the U.S., Federal law prevents ""Muscadet"" from being used for American-produced wine; only the full name of the grape, or the shortened ""Melon"" can be used. As its name suggests, the grape originated in Burgundy and was grown there until its destruction was ordered in the early 18th century. In the vineyards around Nantes and the western"
"'wine with a musk-like taste.' However, wine expert Tom Stevenson notes that Muscadet wines do not have much, if any, ""muskiness"" or Muscat-like flavors or aromas. The sole variety used to produce Muscadet, Melon de Bourgogne, was initially planted in the region sometime in or before the 17th century. It became dominant after a hard freeze in 1709 killed most of the region's vines. Dutch traders who were major actors in the local wine trade encouraged the planting of this variety and distilled much of the wine produced into eau de vie for sale in Northern Europe. The generic Muscadet"
"commercialize their own wine or sell their grapes to one of the forty plus ""négociants"" in the region. These ""négociants"" would blend and bottle the wine under their own label. The only grape variety permitted in any of the AOC Muscadet is the Melon de Bourgogne. The grape was once prevalent in the Burgundy wine region but was eventually prohibited by French authorities. Introduced by Dutch wine traders in the 17th century, the grape came to thrive in the cool, mild climate of the Pays Nantais. Other varieties are grown in the region-such as Folle blanche, Cabernet franc, Gamay, Cabernet"
"Montrachet Montrachet is an ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for white wine made of Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It straddles the border between the two communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet and produces what many consider to be the greatest dry white wine in the world. It is surrounded by four other Grand Cru vineyards all having ""Montrachet"" as part of their names. Montrachet itself is generally considered superior to its four Grand Cru neighbours, and this is reflected in its higher price. Montrachet is located in the south of the Côte de"
"Loire, however, the harsh winter of 1709 destroyed so many vines that a new variety was needed, and the Melon grape was introduced. Since then it has been used solely in the production of the light dry white wine Muscadet, which is made entirely from the Melon grape. The grape is so associated with its appellation that the grape itself is often known as Muscadet. DNA analysis has revealed Melon de Bourgogne to be a cross between Pinot blanc and Gouais blanc. As of 2007, the grape is grown in Oregon. where it is known simply as Melon. The grape"
"yearly basis than in any other single AOC in the entire Loire Valley. The appellation is located east and south around the city of Nantes and is named after the rivers Sèvre and Maine that flow through it. Vineyard soil composition varies throughout the region and can range from the granite and schist hillsides around the village of Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine to the predominantly clay based soils of Vallet. The most ideally situated vineyards are located around the villages of La Chapelle-Heulin, St-Fiacre, Vallet and Vertou Around 45% of the wine made Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine is aged ""sur lie"". The wines made"
"Muscardin Muscardin is a dark-skinned grape variety primarily found in the southern part of the Rhône region. It is primarily noted for being one of the thirteen grape varieties permitted in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. It is a very rare variety, and in 2004 only 0.4% of the appellation's vineyards were planted with Muscardin. The resulting red wines tends to have high acid levels, low alcohol, light tannic structure but can show attractive flowery aromas. The color is also lighter than most Rhone varieties and the wine is prone to the wine fault of oxidation. Muscardin appears to be nearly identical"
"Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC Muscat de Rivesaltes is an ""Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée"" (AOC) for fortified wines (of the type ""vin doux naturel"") made in the Roussillon wine region of France. They are similar to Rivesaltes AOC wines, except for the grape varieties used. The wines are white, and made from Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat à Petits Grains grapes, usually in equal quantities, although the appellation rules allow these varieties to be used in any proportion. The alcohol content must be at least 15 per cent by volume, the potential alcohol content at least 21.5 per cent, and the sugar content"
"Nantais region in the 17th century by Dutch trader looking for a sufficient source of neutral, white wines that could be distilled into brandewijn. Following the deep freeze of 1709, most of the red grape varieties were severely damaged and replaced by the hardier Melon de Bourgogne. The French ampelographer Pierre Galet found evidence that following that deep freeze, King Louis XIV ordered the replanting himself with a grape called ""Muscadent blanc"" that was most likely the Melon de Bourgogne. By the 20th century, Muscadet began to fall out of favor in the global wine market and earned a reputation"
"is unique because it is a raisin wine that is then fortified and aged in a solera system like other sherries. Other sweet sherries such as Bristol Cream may also be drunk as dessert wine. The production of vins doux naturels was perfected by Arnaud de Villeneuve at the University of Montpellier in the 13th century and they are now quite common in the Languedoc-Roussillon of southwest France. As the names suggest, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Muscat de Rivesaltes, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval and Muscat de St-Jean Minervois are all made from the white Muscat grape,"
"in three colours that was accorded an AOC in 1975. The red and rosé are produced from gamay, pinot noir and syrah and are produced only from the vineyards around the village of the same name while the white wine is produced by thirteen communes. Clairette de Die AOC Clairette de Die AOC is a natural sparkling white wine from the Rhône Valley region in France. It is made from the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (75% minimum) and Clairette (25% maximum) grape varieties. It is characterized by its peach and apricot flavours and rose and honeysuckle aromas, and is"
"in this style tend to be slightly fuller body and can have some of the texture and mouthfeel of a white Bourgogne AOC. Well made examples will have a balance of fruit, acidity and texture. The most common viticultural hazards in the Muscadet region is winter and spring time frost and threat of mildew near harvest. The Melon de Bourgogne has adapted well to these condition being very frost resistant and capable of ripening early. Harvest usually takes place in mid to late September but in recent years producers have been experimented with harvesting the grapes several days to a"
"University of Montpellier in the 13th century and they are now quite common in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. As the name suggests, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Muscat de Rivesaltes and Muscat de Frontignan are all made from the white Muscat grape, whilst Banyuls and Maury are made from red Grenache. Regardless of the grape, fermentation is stopped by the addition of up to 10% of a 190 proof (95%) grape spirit. The Grenache vins doux naturels can be made in an oxidised or unoxidised style whereas the Muscat wines are protected from oxidation to retain their freshness. Inexpensive fortified"
"Sauvignon, Pinot noir and Chenin blanc, Pinot gris, Groslot, and Négrette-but must be used under different designations such as the ""Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure"" (VDQS) wines of Coteaux d'Ancenis, Fiefs Vendéens or Gros Plant du Pays Nantais. Muscadet wines are often light bodied and almost always dry with very little, if any residual sugar. The AOP states that the wine may not have residual sugar above 5 grams per liter for Blanc and above 3 grams of sugar per liter for Blanc ""Sur Lie."" Left over carbon dioxide from the bottling process can leave the wines with a slight"
"Tourbat Tourbat is a white grape variety planted primarily in the French wine region of the Côtes du Roussillon AOC where is sometimes called Malvoisie du Roussillon. It is also found in the Italian wines from Sardinia where the grape is known as Torbato and in the Aragon region of Spain. As a varietal, Tourbat is known for its smokey notes. The exact origins of Tourbat are unknown, with some ampelographers and wine historian suggesting that it has a similar origins as Grenache and is likely a Spanish variety. Its presence in Roussillon seems to trace to that area's time"
"Chassagne-Montrachet Chassagne-Montrachet is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It used to be known under the name Chassagne-le-Haut, but the name was changed to Chassagne-Montrachet by a decree on November 27, 1879. Around this time, many Burgundy villages appended the name of their most famous vineyard to that of the village name. Chassagne-Montrachet is an appellation consisting of 350 ha (865 acres) of clayish limestone located south of Côte de Beaune. Most wine produced in the village is white wine from the Chardonnay grape, although red wine is also made from the Pinot noir grape."
"appellation, officially established in 1937, contains three regional sub-appellations: The wine-growing tradition in the region where Muscadet is produced dates from an edict of the Roman emperor Probus who had the first vineyards planted by soldiers. The exact origins of Muscadet wine, and its association with the Melon de Bourgogne grape, is not clear. One estate near Nantes, Château de la Cassemichère, claims that the first Melon de Bourgogne vines used to make Muscadet were transported from Burgundy and planted in their vineyards in 1740. However, most ampelographers believe that the Melon de Bourgogne grape was introduced to the Pays"
"Clairette de Die AOC Clairette de Die AOC is a natural sparkling white wine from the Rhône Valley region in France. It is made from the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (75% minimum) and Clairette (25% maximum) grape varieties. It is characterized by its peach and apricot flavours and rose and honeysuckle aromas, and is usually drunk young at a maximum of two years, and served chilled at a temperature of 6°C to 8°C. Crémant de Die from the same area and same producers is a prestige dry, natural sparkling wine of apple and green fruit flavours and fragrance and"
"Frontignan is twinned with: Frontignan Frontignan-la Peyrade (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. Frontignan is renowned for its AOC wine, the Muscat de Frontignan, a sweet wine made solely from the Muscat grape variety. Frontignan is located in the Languedoc coastal plain between the towns of Sète and Montpellier. The town is surrounded by the Gardiole mountain range in the north, the Ingril lagoon in the east, the Étang de Thau in the west and the Mediterranean shore (including the beach resort Frontignan-Plage) in the south. The Rhône-Sète canal separates the inland town centre"
"aromas that often include smokey notes. Tourbat and its wines are known under a variety of synonyms including Canina, Caninu, Cuscosedda Bianca, Malvoisie des Pyrenees Orientales, Malvoisie du Roussillon, Malvoisie Tourbat, Razola, Torbat, Torbato, Torbato Bianco, Trubat Iberica, Trubau, Turbato, and Turbau. Despite the similarities with the notable synonym of Tourbat, Malvoisie du Roussillon, Tourbat has no known relation with other grapes that share Malvoisie as a name or synonym-most notably Pinot gris but also Bourboulenc, Clairette, Macabeo and Vermentino. Tourbat Tourbat is a white grape variety planted primarily in the French wine region of the Côtes du Roussillon AOC"
"Frontignan Frontignan-la Peyrade (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. Frontignan is renowned for its AOC wine, the Muscat de Frontignan, a sweet wine made solely from the Muscat grape variety. Frontignan is located in the Languedoc coastal plain between the towns of Sète and Montpellier. The town is surrounded by the Gardiole mountain range in the north, the Ingril lagoon in the east, the Étang de Thau in the west and the Mediterranean shore (including the beach resort Frontignan-Plage) in the south. The Rhône-Sète canal separates the inland town centre and Frontignan-Plage. In 1800,"
"Mâconnais The Mâconnais district is located in the south of the Burgundy wine region in France, west of the Saône river. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; the wines from Pouilly-Fuissé are particularly sought-after. Almost all the wine made in the Mâconnais is white wine. Chardonnay is the main grape grown in the district—in fact, there is a village of that name in the far north of the region. Some plantations of Gamay and Pinot noir are made into red"
"regulations. Next come the three sub-appellations representing different micro-climates of the region: Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine; Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire, which includes the northern most expanse of the area; and Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu, which is located in the southwestern area around the eponymous lake. As the most northern sub-appellation, the quality of wines from the Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire can vary greatly depending on the vintage. In cooler years the grapes struggle to ripen and tend not to have the fruit to balance the acidity. In warmer years, this area tends to produce the most balanced wines. Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu is"
"the western regions closer to Morocco. The main wine producing areas are located in the provinces of Aïn Témouchent, Mascara, Mostaganem, Sidi Bel Abbès and Tlemcen. Algeria's ""Office National de Commercialisation des Produits Viti-vinicoles"" (ONCV) list seven quality wine production zones that may appear on Algerian wine labels. During the peak of Algerian wine production, the main grapes of the region was Carignan, Cinsaut and Alicante Bouschet. Despite not having Pinot noir or otherwise resembling Burgundian wine, blends of these grapes were often labeled as ""burgundy"". In recent times, Clairette blanche and Ugni blanc have become the dominant grape varieties"
"The appellations are- The wines of the Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine and Muscadet-Côtes de Grand Lieu appellation are often bottled ""sur lie"" straight from the tank that they are fermented in without any racking or filtering. This create wines that can be very cloudy and require decanting to remove sediments but also produces wines that can be fuller bodied and show extra dimensions of freshness. The white wines of the Coteaux du Layon, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Savennières, and Vouvray are based on Chenin blanc and are known for their high acidity when young and ability to develop and age well. The villages of"
"""prickly"" sensation. Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan describes Muscadets as fresh and crisp, at their peak drinking ability from release up to three of years of age. Muscadet that have been aged ""sur lie"" can have very subtle ""yeasty"" aromas. The acidity keeps the wines light and refreshing. Some examples can have a slight ""saltiness"" about them. The classic food and wine pairings in the Pays Nantais region is of Muscadet with the local seafood, particularly oysters. Other seafood dishes with which Muscadet pairs well include lobster, shrimp and mullet. San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné called Muscadet ""the"
"the plain between the Rhône river and the Luberon-Ventoux mountains. Beaumes is famed for its natural fortified wine made from the Muscat grape, and records of its use go back almost two millennia. More recently it is also the producer of a high quality red wine. In 1943 the natural Sweet Beaumes de Venise Muscat was accorded its ""appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC), to be followed in 1956 by an AOC for its Côtes du Rhône. The red, white and rosé wines were elevated to the appellation of Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC (named villages) in 1978, and in 2005 the"
"region, though some red, rosé, sparkling and sweet wines are also produced. It is situated in eastern France on the river Ill and borders Germany, a country with which it shares many grape varieties as well as a long tradition of varietal labelling. Grapes grown in Alsace include Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Pinot noir, and Muscat Beaujolais is primarily a red-wine region generally made from the Gamay grape, though some white and sparkling rosé are also produced. It is situated in central East of France following the river Saone below Burgundy and above Lyon. There are 12 appellations"
"scattered across a wide range of ""terroirs"" ranging from gentle slopes near the rivers to rolling hills to flat fertile land near the mouth of the Loire river. The most ideally situated vineyards are in the rolling hills Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine sub-appellation located south and east of Nantes. The soil in this area is rich in magnesium and potassium, made up of clay, gravel and sand above subsoils of gneiss, schist, granite and volcanic rock. Throughout the Muscadet region the soils drain well, which is a necessity in a region as damp as the Pays Nantais. In the broader, generic"
"red and white wines are made in Bordeaux. Red Bordeaux is called claret in the United Kingdom. Red wines are generally made from a blend of grapes, and may be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit verdot, Malbec, and, less commonly in recent years, Carménère. White Bordeaux is made from Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Sauternes is a sub-region of Graves known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wines such as Château d'Yquem. Because of a wine glut (wine lake) in the generic production, the price squeeze induced by an increasingly strong international competition, and vine pull schemes,"