The Château de la Ragoliere of Pays Nantais of Loire Valley

Discovering the wine region of Pays Nantais

The Pays Nantais is the region surrounding the city of Nantes, on the Atlantic coast of Brittany, France. The region covers an area of about 90 kilometres from east to west, between neighbouring Anjou and the Atlantic coast. Most of the production produces light, fresh white wines. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Muscadet, where the melon">Melon de Bourgogne grape dominates the plantings.

Muscadet wines are, in turn, produced under several different appellations, including Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. Melon de Bourgogne is not a particularly tasty grape variety, so without care in the Vineyard and careful Vinification, the wines are likely to be rather bland and Characterless. This is especially true in hot vintages, when the grapes tend to lose their Organoleptic complexity and their vital, characteristic Acidity. In order to glean as much flavour and character as possible from the grape must, many wines are left on the lees for weeks or even months.