Vin de Pays (VDP), the French national equivalent of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) at the European level, is a quality category of French wines, positioned between Vin de Table (VDT) and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). This layer of the French appellation system was initially introduced in September 1968 by the INAO, the official appellation authority. It underwent several early revisions in the 1970s, followed by substantial changes in September 2000 and again in 2009, when all existing VDT titles were automatically registered with the European Union as PGI. Producers retain the choice of using either the VDP or PGI titles on their labels, or both - in the form "IGP-Vin de Pays".
There are now more than 150 VDP/IGP titles, mainly covering the southern third of France. The "Vin de Pays" level is intended to benefit both consumers and wine producers. It allows consumers to know clearly where a wine comes from, while producers are empowered to produce wine outside the constraints of traditional AOC laws. The most obvious freedoms are the higher yields allowed and a more comprehensive list of permitted Grape varieties.
Melon de Bourgogne (or simply Melon) is a white grape variety originating, as its name indicates, from the Burgundy region. It is better known as Muscadet, the name of the wine it produces. It is the dominant grape variety in the Nantes region on the Brittany coast. Like any grape variety, it has its own characteristics. But its history is quite particular, because its predominance in the Nantes region is the result of a terrible winter.
white wines from the region of Vin de Pays go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or vegetarian such as recipes of wild rice salad with tuna, scallops in coral sauce or quiche without eggs.
On the nose in the region of Vin de Pays often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, cream or grapefruit and sometimes also flavors of tropical, citrus or apples. In the mouth in the region of Vin de Pays is a with a nice freshness.
