Extending nearly 650 miles, the Loire Valley hosts the world's longest viticultural region. Leaving the mountainous Ardeche region, the Loire river runs alongside woods and open fields, great chateaux and historic towns. The river travels a meandering tree-lined route through a region that is devoted mostly to agriculture, much of this devoted to the growth of vines. The beautiful countryside through which the river flows is known as The Garden of France and because of the many famous chateaux, that were possessions of former French kings, it is also known as the "Royal Valley"

The Nantais region of the Loire Valley is located close to the Atlantic Ocean, south of Brittany, near the mouth of the Loire River. It enjoys a mild climate due to its proximity to the Atlantic Coast and the flow of the Gulf Stream along it.

The Nantais region suffered greatly from the Civil War after the 1789 Revolution in France. This part of France was very Royalist and Catholic. The growers, helped by the royalists, fought against Napoleonic Republicans because they did not want church properties to be confiscated and handed to the state. Unfortunately for them, they lost their battle.

The Nantais is MUSCADET country. Muscadet is a wine produced from a grape called the Melon de Bourgogne and as its name suggests, originated in Burgundy. It became the dominant grape variety in this area in the 17th Century when Dutch Traders encouraged production of this high volume, neutral grape as a base wine for Holland's distillers. Muscadet is currently the only wine being produced in France by this grape variety, contributing to its uniqueness on the worldwide market.

These wines are light bodied, pleasant and slightly fruity and the best are crisp and bone dry. It is an excellent choice to accompany oysters, clams, and fresh seafood, as this is the cuisine readily available in this region and the two go hand-in-hand.

A basic Muscadet is light and lively and should be consumed while young. Muscadet Nouveaux is now being offered from this area, available after the 3rd Thursday of November following the harvest. This is a marvelous white wine alternative to the release of Beaujolais Nouveaux at the same time each year. Muscadet is also the perfect summer wine, cool and refreshing without undue acidity and bite. It is known in the Nantais as Health Wine due to its lack of residual sugar and moderate alcohol content.

The best Muscadet wines are produced in the Sevre-et-Maine district further inland and particulary in the twisting, hilly vineyards around St. Fiacre and the more gently undulating vineyards of Vallet. Wine labeled Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine is light and easy to drink, the perfect refreshing wine with spicy food and the ideal accompaniment to various Asian dishes.

Muscadet can also go one step further up the quality scale into the realm Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie. Bottling wine, Sur Lie is an ancient bottling technique used in the Nantais. After fermentation, the Muscadet wine remains on its lees (expired yeast cells) for at least the winter and is bottled straight from the vat where it was fermented, not before the 1st of March each year.

This process gives the wine more freshness and there is often a slight prickle of carbon dioxide which helps protect the wine from oxidation. Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie has more flavour as contact with the lees adds to the richness of the wine and enables it to be aged longer.

By law, Sur Lie wine may only be bottled in the cellar where it was made, protecting and ensuring the quality of the wine.

As well as a good accompaniment for seafood, Muscadet also goes well with omelets and light meats such as chicken and salads.

Muscadet - This is the general designation of origin. It involves 1754 hectares spread over all the communes.

Sèvre et Maine Muscadet - 23 communes (south east of Nantes, in the cantons of Vertou, Vallet, Clisson and Loroux-Bottereau), produce on 10 392 hectares this Muscadet which gets its name from two rivers which cross the vineyard. These are wines that are often formed in the Valletais and the Clissonnais areas, and are gentler and with a stronger flavour in the regions of Loroux and of Goulaine.

Coteaux de la Loire Muscadet - This solid wine originates along both banks of the Loire upstream of Nantes, on the very steep hillsides of 25 communes in the Ancenis region (354 hectares). It has a good corking performance.

Coteaux de la Loire Muscadet - This solid wine originates along both banks of the Loire upstream of Nantes, on the very steep hillsides of 25 communes in the Ancenis region (354 hectares). It has a good corking performance.

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