Muscadet is a tart, dry white wine produced around the mouth of the Loire, in 4 wine terroirs around the city of Nantes. Among the best of these are Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu, Muscadet Coteaux de le Loire and Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine, the latter having the best reputation of these three appellations. It is good with fish, particularly oysters though some migjt prefer Chablis. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine. It is made from the Muscadet grape, a lesser quality variety also known as Melon de Bourgogne, often referred to simply as Melon. In the Muscadet region, wine makers leave the grape juice to rest during winter before putting the wine in bottle. When buying Muscadet look for the words 'sur lie' on the label. This means that the wine has been allowed to rest on its lees (dead yeast cells) for some time after fermentation, imparting a touch of richness to the otherwise dry and steely wine.
