MUSCADET: YOUR NEW FAVE BARGAIN WHITE

Put the Stella Artois down and check out this yeasty, saline, citrusy gem from Nantes within the Loire Valley. Muscadet is a wine that is often overlooked as boring, cheap, mass-produced nonsense OR stuffy oyster wine. Yet I would wager to say that this high acid, inexpensive gem defies both of these stereotypes.

What grape makes Muscadet?

Muscadet is made from the grape Melon de Bourgogne. Melon de Bourgogne - or Melon, as I like to call it - is a grape that was, well, given the short end of the stick a lot.

Melon de Bourgogne’s history is kind of similar to Gamay in Beaujolais in the sense that it had a rocky start. Melon was initially planted in Burgundy, but was not as complicated or well-liked as Chardonnay.

Eventually, the Duke of Burgundy - who seemed like a really fun guy at parties - cancelled this grape, just like he cancelled Gamay. Melon de Bourgogne was outlawed in the region, and a group of Burgundian Monks brought some plantings to the Loire Valley. Melon de Bourgogne thrived in the cooler climate of this region, and the majority Melon vines were planted in the most Western part of the Loire, the city of Nantes.

The name of the region in which Melon de Bourgogne grows and where Muscadet is made is, well, Muscadet. It gets its name from the musky quality that a lot of Muscadet wines have. It is the only region in the word that is named after the type of aroma a wine possesses.

What does Muscadet taste like?

Muscadet has a pleasantly salty and yeasty quality - not dissimilar from a lager. A lot of this is because Melon de Bourgogne is a high acid grape that is lighter than that other Burgundian grape, Chardonnay, which can overpower.

As a wine, Muscadet has a zestier texture than most wines that verges upon sparkling. Picture a white wine, with a little bit of glitter. This “glittery” texture is from an aging process called sur lie aging. When a wine is aged sur lie, that means the juice remains in contact with the dead yeast sells, yielding more texture. If you’re unsure about yeast’s role in the winemaking process, check out this oldie but goodie, Thurstqueen article.

What can I pair Muscadet with?

Muscadet is like a nude lip, it goes with pretty much everything because it’s so chill and classy AF.

If you want to go old school when pairing Muscadet with food, hit up some oysters. Raw oysters are the “classic pairing” for Muscadet. These briny, slightly salty mollusks perfectly complement Muscadet’s saline and yeasty nature.

Muscadet is also fantastic with French fries, buttered popcorn, and potato chips. My personal favorite pairing with Muscadet is dark chocolate with sea salt. You could also consider pairing Muscadet with chocolate chip cookies, as that buttery, slightly salty taste of the cookie dough goes great with this wine.

PICK OF THE WEEK: La Pepie Muscadet 2021

This elegant, serious, swagadocious Muscadet channels pretty much everything you’d hope for. It’s refreshing and has major lemony saline vibes, with all that zesty “glitter,” as I like to call it from extended lees contact.

Clocking in at 12%ABV, the La Pepie Muscadet is refreshingly low ABV, making it the quintessential day wine. Honestly? If you’re a lager drinker, I’d recommend subbing in a glass of this after work instead of your usual bottle of Stella Artois. This Muscadet is drinkable, light, and straightforward - the quintessential Spring to Summer wine.