📍 Pays Nantais

The Pays Nantais is a wine area in western France where the Loire flows into the Atlantic. It is the home of Muscadet, a light dry white wine. The area starts at the city of Nantes and stretches along the river mouth.

Muscadet is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, which is also simply called Muscadet here. The cool ocean climate gives grapes with high acidity. The wine is fresh and light, with notes of lemon and sea breeze. It is traditionally drunk with oysters and seafood.

The area has several appellations: Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu and Coteaux d'Ancenis. Another grape of these places is Folle Blanche, which makes the wine Gros Plant du Pays Nantais. It is part of the large Loire valley.

Muscadet is often aged on its lees, which gives the wine more body and a fine taste. The Pays Nantais shows how closeness to the sea affects the taste of wine.