As a wine guide I get asked a lot if I have a favourite wine. This changes with my mood, but consistently I come back to Vouvray. In particular Vouvray sparkling wines are my go to wine of choice. Who doesn’t love a little bubbles in their glass? But Vouvray wines are more than just the sparkle in the glass. So much more. Enough so, I decided to delve here…
What is Vouvray?
First of all, I should explain that Vouvray is a village, as well as an area along the Loire Valley. This area is an AOC, or Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. This means a designated location that has something special about it when it comes to wine making and ultimately its wines. And that is because there is this tuffeau limestone cliff that boundaries the Loire river. The vines are planted on top of it, sending their roots down into the stone, pulling up the minerality, or flavour of the limestone into the grapes and thus the wine.
When the land influences the products produced from it, this is called terroir. And Vouvrays’ unique topography certainly plays a big part in the deliciousness of the wines. But it’s not just that. It’s also the grape variety itself – the Chenin Blanc.
Chenin Blanc
As far as white grape varieties go, I think Chenin is my favourite. Now, I do love me a Sauvignon Blanc, and many other white grape varieties, but nothing beats the versatility of the Chenin. It took moving to the Loire Valley and becoming a wine tour guide to actually discover this amazing grape variety.
Certainly, I enjoyed a glass or two (mostly from South Africa) of Chenin in the past, but beyond its enjoyment I knew little else about this grape. Turns out its versatility is simply ah-maze-ing. Not only can it be made into the whole range of sparkling, but also into a still wine. And within the still wines the diversity is showcased even more.
Uniquely Diverse
This is a grape variety that not only can be made into a dry white wine, but also a semi-dry and moelleux (‘soft’, or complexly sweeter). This is done by leaving the grapes to ripen on the vine (can’t be done every year), making the grapes sweeter and thus a sweeter wine. But with a moelleux it is too complex to be simply labelled a ‘sweet’ wine. The clue is in the name, after all. Sweet in French is ‘doux’ whilst moelleux means ‘soft’ or ‘smooth’. Subtle difference, but a notable difference in the taste of the wine.
I simply adore when I am able to guide guests through a Vouvray tasting. Not only do we try sparkling wines but also enjoy the range of still wines. You can’t do this with other grape varieties, so it truly is something special.
The range is so diverse there is something for every type of food or situation. From a chilled glass of bubbles on a hot summer day to a wine for a specific cheese. The demi-sec sparkling in example automatically makes me think of strawberries and cream, whilst a still sec (dry) with a little ageing in oak makes me keen on pairing with a roast chicken dinner. The still demi-sec (semi-dry) is delicious with a pâté or foie gras, something rich and fatty. Whilst the moelleux is a perfect, and I mean marriage made in heaven perfect, pairing with a creamy, salty blue cheese.
Montlouis-sur-Loire
Across the Loire river from Vouvray is another AOC, that of Montlouis-sur-Loire. The grape variety grown here is also the Chenin Blanc. And this area also has the tuffeau limestone ridge, but this side, the south side of the river, has more sediment within the limestone and around it, giving different flavour notes to the wine.
I do enjoy a Montlouis, still or sparkling. It’s a little less complex than a wine from Vouvray, but sometimes this is a nice thing. A Montlouis Chenin Blanc is very easy, one could almost argue too easy, to drink. (It’s also generally a lot cheaper.)
Vouvray AOC
Vouvray was the second AOC ever created (in 1936), very shortly after Chateauneuf-de-Pape. AOCs were created to showcase something truly special about an area, it’s terroir (geology, topography, climate and wine makers). Vouvray wines are very special, uniquely special. A good portion of this is down to the diversity of the Chenin Blanc, but equally, if not more so, the terroir of Vouvray plays a very important part.
Vouvray was also originally considered (designed?) to be the main competitor to Champagne. Certainly Champagne is known world wide. They are truly amazing at their marketing. But here, within France, a Vouvray is a much more affordable and I would argue a more delicious glass of bubbles.
A Glass of Bubbles
When it comes to wine, I don’t really have a favourite, more a circumstance that calls for a particular type of wine. But if cornered, and I could only choose one wine, it would be a Vouvray Brut sparkling wine. And yes, I would easily choose a Vouvray over a Champagne. Every time.
Most people don’t generally realise this, but a Champagne is made up of 3 grape varieties : Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. And in having the luxury of living in France and having a variety of sparkling wines available to try, I have discovered that Champagne, or its blend of grapes, is probably my least favourite.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike it and will happily quaff a glass when given. But. It turns out I prefer a sparkling wine made from the Chenin Blanc grape variety. It is not quite so acidic, or dry, and generally much smoother. So, I have discovered, much to my delight, when it comes to sparkling especially I prefer Vouvray wines.
More About Wine
If you enjoy my insights in to Vouvray wines, and would like to know more about wine in general, please check out my Wine 101 posts. In these I try to de-mystify wines, take the snobbery out of them, and help you understand and enjoy them that little bit more.
If you enjoy what you read, consider joining in and nourishing Pumpjack & Piddlewick. Or, if preferred, take a browse of My Shop, where I try to find and thus sell all sorts of wine related items, from the quirky to the one-of-a-kind, from the vintage to the antique. Here’s a little taste…
Simply click on an image to see more.