Muscadet Sur Lie, La Pinardiere 2009, Loire Valley - $32

Grapes:100% Melon (also known as Muscadet) From:    N. France, Loire Valley. Description: This is a delicate bone dry minerally wine – particularly good with shellfish. Also great as a pre-dinner drink because of its clean dry taste. Fact: “Sur Lie” literally means on the lees – the lees are the sediments that are left at the bottom of the barrel after ageing.  These wines are therefore bottled from barrels where the lees have not been drained.  This method is common with muscadets and with sparkling wines that are created in the ”methode champagnoise” – a particular way of making sparkling wines which comes from the champagne region.  Food Pairing: Muscadet comes from an area that borders on Brittany which is renowned it’s seafood so this pairs naturally with things like oysters and shrimp.