The idea of value is extremely subjective when it comes to wine. A $60 bottle of Burgundy might seem a steal to some, an extravagance to others. But nearly everyone agrees that Muscadet is just about the best bargain going.
Category: Loire Valley
The New Muscadet: Reinvented and Refreshing
Muscadet has long a favorite by-the-glass wine at oyster bars around the world. And we’ll admit that there is little else (except perhaps Chablis) that washes down a plate of raw oysters so well as a brisk glass of Muscadet. Until recently, Muscadets were inexpensive and uncomplicated -- a delicious wine cheerfully lacking in ceremony and grandeur.
Old-Vine Cabernet Franc from Chinon. $19.95
The Loire Valley is at the heart of France’s natural wine movement. Many winemakers here live a back-to-the-land ethos, crafting wines as organically and minimally as possible. While some vignerons certainly may take the low sulfiting and unfiltered ideal too far, most wines turn out balanced, fresh, and more complex.
Exciting New Old-Vine Pouilly-Fumé.
It was a cool and dewy morning in the Loire Valley when we visited the Domaine Frederic Michot back in June. We had little more to go on than a brief note in a French wine guide promising a small scale, excellent Pouilly-Fumé. The rutted tracks in the ridges above the hamlet led to a modest house with a small…
Sauvignon Blanc: Smoke and Grapefruit
Sauvignon blanc grows around the world, from California to South Africa to New Zealand. But its origin is most likely the Loire Valley, where it took its name from its resemblance to wild (savuage) grape vines. And it is here, particularly in the neighboring towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, that Sauvignon blanc finds its purest expression.
Grapefruits and Gourmands: Sancerre
Wine writer Lettie Teague describes Sancerre as a wine about “pleasure and not profundity.” And though we’ve certainly had memorable bottles of Sancerre, it’s true that the wine shows a certain joie de vivre – more gourmand than gourmet.