A charter guest wants a French white that is not Chardonnay, a rosé that is not sweet, and something strange for the sommelier at the table who thinks she has tasted everything. All three live in this lesson.
The Loire: one river, four climates
The river runs from continental interior to maritime mouth, and the wines change with it.
| Sub-region | Grape | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Pays Nantais (Muscadet) | Melon | Bone-dry, neutral, saline; sur lie ageing adds texture and a slight prickle |
| Anjou-Saumur | Chenin Blanc; Cabernet Franc | Chenin from bone-dry (Savennieres) to lusciously botrytised (Coteaux du Layon); Saumur-Champigny red |
| Touraine | Chenin Blanc; Cabernet Franc | Vouvray in every sweetness level, still and sparkling; Chinon and Bourgueil reds |
| Central Vineyards | Sauvignon Blanc | Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume: high acid, grapefruit, blackcurrant leaf, flinty |
Chenin Blanc is the advanced taster grape par excellence: naturally very high acidity, which is why it can be made dry, off-dry, sweet or sparkling and can age for decades in any of them. If the wine tastes sweet, ask whether that was intent or a difficult vintage; Vouvray labels vary and the answer is often in the vintage.
Alsace
Sheltered from rain by the Vosges mountains, so it is dry and sunny, and unusually for France it labels by variety.
- Riesling — dry, high acid, citrus and stony; the region s finest.
- Gewurztraminer — pronounced lychee and rose, low acid, high alcohol, often off-dry.
- Pinot Gris — rich, smoky, full-bodied.
- Muscat — grapey, floral, usually dry.
There are Alsace Grand Cru vineyards, and two late-harvest categories: Vendanges Tardives (late-picked, riper) and Selection de Grains Nobles (nobly rotten, sweetest). Beware: many Alsace wines are off-dry without saying so, which catches out both students and guests.
Provence and the South
- Provence — the world reference for pale, dry, delicate rosé, made by short skin contact with Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvedre, then cool-fermented in steel to keep it fresh and pale. Bandol is the exception: serious, Mourvedre-based, structured red that ages.
- Languedoc-Roussillon — France s volume engine, but increasingly the source of its best value. Warm Mediterranean climate, GSM-style blends, appellations such as Corbieres, Minervois, Faugeres and Pic Saint-Loup, plus varietal Pays d Oc.
Jura, briefly
Tiny, cold and eccentric. Savagnin aged under a film of yeast (voile), like sherry flor, gives vin jaune: nutty, dry and oxidative. Reds from Poulsard and Trousseau are pale and savoury. This is the bottle for the guest who has tasted everything.
Onboard Notes
Provence rosé is the single most requested wine on a Mediterranean charter. Buy the current vintage only. It is not built to age, and last year s bottle will look darker and taste tired next to the new one.