The land of Muscadet
Muscadet has had unrivalled celebrity since the 16th century. The wine is made from a single grape, the Melon de Bourgogne, and is both fruity and fresh. Your tour starts in greater Nantes, one of France’s major white wine-producing regions. The best known among the 4 varieties of Muscadet is the celebrated Sèvre et Maine “Sur Lie”, a legacy of the era when winemakers reserved a barrel of their best for important occasions. Your Muscadet tour should include a stop at the Maison des Vins de Loire (a showcase for Loire wines) on Place du Commerce in Nantes. Other wines of the region are the Côteaux d’Ancenis and the Gros Plant.

In Vendée: a fruity nose and summer wines
Mareuil wines, made from Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Négrette grapes, dominate production in the Vendée area. These varieties produce lively wines with a fruity nose and a blackcurrant aroma. The less well-known but high quality Pissotte wines, from the Fontenay-le-Comte region, and Vix wines have generous and soft, flowery aromas. Lastly, Brem wines are light and very fruity. There is a hint of apple in the whites whilst the reds have a lingering finish.