Make mine a Muscadet!

The largest sub-region is Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, which produces the majority of bottles you will encounter. This area covers the granite soils between the two tributaries leading to the sea. The location gives Sèvre et Maine the classic Muscadet flavours described above. Côtes de Grandlieu, which is grown next door are similar in style. Finally, Coteaux de la Loire is a little dryer, with more of the 'flint' than the flowers. However, all four appellations share the major characteristics and the differences are subtle.

Watch out for...
On some Muscadet labels (for all of the types mentioned above), you might see a phrase 'sur lie'. This means that the wine has rested on a bed of yeast and was then bottled a few months after harvesting. This gives the wine more depth and can also result in a slight sparkle on the tongue. It is worth looking out for Muscadet sur Lie, as it's a slightly richer version of the ordinary Muscadet.

Muscadet sur Lie can happily last for a few years and as it ages; it becomes more complex, grower deeper in colour and developing more fruity and nutty characteristics. The flavour should become more creamy and honeyed as well, leaving a more rounded, softer structure.

Muscadet comes in slightly taller, slimmer bottles than most wines and should be labelled clearly.

How to drink it
Muscadet should be drunk chilled but not icy cold, otherwise the fresh flavours will be masked. You can get different vintages, though Muscadet is lovely when it is drunk young, so you capture all of those green 'grassy' herbal scents.

All in all, Muscadet is a crisp and elegant wine. It is a great choice in a social situation as it is made to high standard and almost everyone will like it. It is famous as an accompaniment to seafood, oysters and lobster in particular, but it also works well with cheese and some meats. Finally, it makes a brilliant start to an evening as the slight spritz and dryness really get the mouth watering, so whatever you choose to serve your guests will be appealing!

If you want more ideas on how to match food with this wine, take a look at our Muscadet Menu, for an entire dinner party based around this sophisticated crowd-pleaser.