Muscadet
The western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes, is the kingdom of Muscadet. It’s made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often referred to simply as melon. The vineyards are concentrated mostly to the south and east of Nantes city and along the banks of the local rivers – the Loire and its tributaries.
Situated between the Loire River and Atlantic Ocean, the area enjoys a humid, oceanic climate, with fairly abundant, although not excessive, rainfall and temperatures that do not reach extremes even with frequent frosts in the spring. The most western wine region of the Loire is on gentle slopes, facing banks of the Loire, Sevre and Maine rivers.
The soil is rich in magnesium and potassium, made up of clay, gravel and sand above subsoils of gneiss, schist, granite and volcanic rock. Throughout the region the soils drain well, which is a necessity in this humid region.
The only grape variety permitted in any of the AOC Muscadet is the Melon de Bourgogne. Other varietals such as Folle Blanche (Gros Plant de Pays Nantais AOP) and Pinot Gris are also grown in the region but in minority.
