Loire, France / Muscadet a.k.a. Melon – This is what the French drink with shellfish, specifically oysters. Once you try that combination, you will too. Beyond dry.
The Loire region has been making wine since at least the 12th century, maybe as early as the 5th Century. Muscadet is the wine; Melon de Bourgogne is the grape.
Located in Northern France, this region only is about 31,000 acres of France’s 2 million acres for wine production. So not very big. Long ago the wine makers here seem to have set out to make their own style to accompany what they ate. The result is a super dry white wine, meant to be paired with shellfish. Like Vinho Verde, it this is not a wine to store.
What makes this region special – Muscadet is not the most well-known grape in the US. It is not an area that produces a whole bunch of wine per year. You are getting some inside knowledge here.
