When it’s hot and humid out, the most refreshing thing to me is a nice cold glass of Muscadet

Confession: I love Muscadet. It’s refreshing, slightly acidic with notes of citrus fruits and the tiniest hint of musk. Chilled, it’s the perfect thing for a hot summer day. It’s unfortunate that in the US I don’t see it on menus much by the glass, and it can get relatively expensive. However it is still easy to find one for $10-$13, and it’s such an approachable wine, the price is well worth it.

I used to be a Pino Grigio person, not knowing much about the vast world of white wine. It was on menus – I picked it. It was often cheap in stores – I bought it. But then one day I had a conversation with a guy at a very reputable wine store in NYC. I was making a salad that night with romaine lettuce, pears, and avocado, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. I wanted to know the best thing to drink, and I was tired of the same old thing. Frankly it’s a tricky pairing, vinegar and wine. The notes of both can easily clash; vinegar is acidic and wine can be too, depending on the grape and how the wine was made.

That day I was definitely in the mood to try something new, and the guy I was talking to recommended a Muscadet, telling me that in fact, the acid note of the wine would combine with the vinegar in the salad and bring out the sweeter notes of both. I was sold. I had always heard that Muscadet was a sweeter wine, which I don’t like, but I realize now that I was confusing it with Muscat, which is a sweet wine, great as an aperitif (but that’s for another hub!).

Muscadet is made from the grape Melon de Bourgogne. A lot of times it’s just referred to as Melon. Coming from the Loire Valley in France, it’s among, in my opinion, some of the best wines in the world. (It is however one of the few wines from the region, if not the only wine, that isn’t named for the region, but rather for the characteristics of the grape – AOC rules and regulations. They’re complicated, but if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!)

Drink safely, drink happily. Cheers!