Muscadet

Muscadet is a bone-dry, light-bodied white from the western Loire Valley in France, made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape. Expect lemon, green apple and subtle pear with a salty, mineral edge. Crisp, clean and made for seafood, it’s brilliant with oysters, mussels, prawns, crab, sushi and grilled fish.

Taste:

Lean, zesty and about as refreshing as white wine gets.

Muscadet is typically very dry and light-bodied, with high acidity and delicate flavours of lemon, lime, green apple and pear. What really sets it apart is its mineral, slightly salty character, which makes perfect sense given how famously well it gets along with seafood.

Some bottles have a subtle yeasty, creamy or bread-like quality alongside the citrus fruit, particularly those labelled sur lie.

This isn't usually a big, fruity or heavily oaked white. It's all about freshness, acidity and subtle flavour.

Basically, Muscadet doesn't need to shout. The oysters already know why it's here.

Food Pairings:

Seafood is Muscadet's home turf.

Oysters are the classic match, with the wine's acidity and saline character working brilliantly alongside fresh, briny shellfish.

It's equally good with mussels, prawns, crab, scallops, clams, calamari and seafood platters. Try it with moules marinières, garlic prawns, crab salad or seafood pasta.

For fish, pair Muscadet with grilled sea bass, cod, sole, haddock or other white fish, particularly with lemon, garlic or fresh herbs.

Sushi, sashimi and ceviche are great matches too.

For lighter meals, try goat's cheese salad, green salads, grilled vegetables or dishes featuring fresh herbs and citrus.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Muscadet, Albariño is a great next move for another seafood-loving white with citrus, acidity and a distinctive coastal character.

Picpoul de Pinet brings similarly zesty citrus and freshness, while Sauvignon Blanc turns up the aromatics and herbal flavours.

Chablis is worth exploring if it's Muscadet's dry, mineral and restrained side that you love most.

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More About Muscadet:

Muscadet comes from the Pays Nantais at the western end of France's Loire Valley, close to the Atlantic Ocean and the city of Nantes.

Despite the very similar names, Muscadet has nothing to do with Muscat. It's made from a grape called Melon de Bourgogne.

You'll frequently see Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie on labels. Sur lie means the wine has spent time resting on the dead yeast cells left after fermentation. That contact can give the wine extra texture and subtle yeasty complexity while retaining its trademark freshness.

So Muscadet isn't Muscat, and Melon de Bourgogne isn't a melon.

Wine naming has returned to its favourite hobby: absolutely not helping.