Crossword clues for muscadet
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Muscadet \Muscadet\ n.
A white grape grown esp. in the Loire Valley in France.
A dry white wine from the Loire Valley in France.
Wiktionary
n. A white grape grown chiefly in the Loire valley of France, or a dry white wine made from this grape
Wikipedia
Muscadet is a white French wine. It is made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region neighboring the Brittany Region. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine. It is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often referred to simply as melon. As a rule in France, Appellation d'origine contrôlée wines are named either after their growing region or after their variety (the latter in Alsace only). The name Muscadet is therefore an exception. The name seems to refer to a characteristic of the wine produced by the melon grape variety: vin qui a un goût musqué - 'wine with a musk-like taste,' though wine expert Tom Stevenson notes that Muscadet wines do not have much, if any, "muskiness" or Muscat-like flavors or aromas. The sole variety used to produce Muscadet, Melon de Bourgogne, was initially planted in the region sometime in or before the 17th century. It became dominant after a hard freeze in 1709 killed most of the region's vines. Dutch traders who were major actors in the local wine trade encouraged the planting of this variety and distilled much of the wine produced into eau de vie for sale in Northern Europe.
The generic Muscadet appellation, officially established in 1937, contains three regional sub-appellations:
- Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine, officially established in 1936, covering 20,305 acres (8,217 hectares) with 21 villages in the Loire-Atlantique department and 2 in the Maine-et-Loire department. This appellation produces 80% of all Muscadets.
- Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire, officially established in 1936, covering 467 acres (189 hectares) with 24 villages spread across the Loire-Atlantique and Maine-et-Loire departments.
- Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu, officially established in 1994, benefits from the Grandlieu lake's microclimate. This sub appellation covers 717 hectares with 17 villages in the Loire-Atlantique department and 2 villages in the Vendée department.
Usage examples of "muscadet".
From the kitchen he fetched a final chilled bottle of the dry Muscadet which the friends favoured.
Every day, there would be new arrivals of coals from Newcastle, rank hoppers of saltpetre from the Indies, fragrant sheaves of tobacco from the Fortunate Isles, barrels of Muscadet, endless sacks of every kind of fruit and produce, some of which, rotting and mouldering, brought plagues of insects even more irritating and ugly than those which commonly alighted on the flesh of every Londoner in those long hot shifterms.
He was in his late thirties, had fair hair, freckles, two ex-wives, a Dalmatian named Muscadet, and a tendency to wax rhapsodic over grassy, slightly herbaceous wines with a lot of complexity.
She disappeared to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Muscadet and two glasses.
That afternoon, when Prince Albert had slowly cleared the plates of langoustine shells, the Muscadet bottle, peaches and grapes, Richard said he needed to go up to the room for a rest.
Though there were Gamays, Saumurs, Champignys, and Muscadets to choose from, there was only one political vintage allowed at the oaken bar-de Gaulle loyalism.
Blaine's favourite plain boiled lobster, with a glass of muscadet.
An eminently comfortable elegant supper, and reasonably sober: Blaine's favourite plain boiled lobster, with a glass of muscadet.