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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.〔T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 200-201 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ISBN 0-7566-1324-8〕 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.〔H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 175-180 Simon and Schuster 1989 ISBN 0-671-68702-6〕 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.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 INAO - Institut National de l'Origine et de la qualité )〕 ==History== The wine-growing tradition in the region where Muscadet is produced dates from an edict of the Roman emperor Probus who had the first vineyards planted by soldiers.〔''Culinaire Saisonnier'', hiver 2006/07〕〔http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalguides/loirenantais.shtml〕 The exact origins of Muscadet wine, and its association with the Melon de Bourgogne grape, is not clear. One estate near Nantes, Château de la Cassemichère, claims that the first Melon de Bourgogne vines used to make Muscadet were transported from Burgundy and planted in their vineyards in 1740.〔 However, most ampelographers believe that the Melon de Bourgogne grape was introduced to the Pays Nantais region in the 17th century by Dutch trader looking for a sufficient source of neutral, white wines that could be distilled into brandewijn. Following the deep freeze of 1709, most of the red grape varieties were severely damaged and replaced by the hardier Melon de Bourgogne.〔J. Robinson (ed) ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition pg 463 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6〕 The French ampelographer Pierre Galet found evidence that following that deep freeze, King Louis XIV ordered the replanting himself with a grape called ''Muscadent blanc'' that was most likely the Melon de Bourgogne.〔 By the 20th century, Muscadet began to fall out of favor in the global wine market and earned a reputation for being homogenous and simple. The late 20th century saw a revival in the Muscadet region as ambitious wine producers experimented with new winemaking techniques aimed at bringing out more flavor and complexity in the wine. The 1980s saw a rise in use of oak barrel fermentation and lees stirring while the 1990s introduced the widespread use of extended skin-contact (maceration) prior to fermentation. By the 20th century, the use of these techniques created a wide range of styles and quality of Muscadet wine.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Muscadet」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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