French Wine Tasting Course 2 - Vouvray

Vouvray, Louis Armond, Loire Valley, France A.O.C. 2009 - $15

For the second course of this tasting I've chosen a popular and reasonably priced white wine.  Vouvray is actually the name of a region in France in the Loire Valley.  Below are some facts about Vouvray:

Fact 1 - Loire Valley region of French wine country is well known for it's white wines.  Found in the Northwestern part of France (near Brittany) most of the best grapes are along the banks of the Loire River headed east from the Atlantic Ocean.  Some famous regions in the Loire Valley include: Sancerre (typically mostly Sauvignon Blanc grapes) Muscadet (sweet wine), Pouilly-Fuisse (mostly Chardonnay) and Vouvray.

Fact 2 - As you can see from the label of this bottle, you typically buy French wine based on the region on the bottle.  Although, you can't see here that Vouvray is from the Loire Valley.  You need to really pay attention to how your wine or liquor store is organized if you're looking for this wine.  Typically when you walk into a wine shop and look for the French wine section first.  Then look for the Loire Valley section, then look for wine bottles with Vouvray on the label and find one in your price range.

Fact 3 - This Vouvray is made with 100% Chenin Blanc grapes.  The Chenin Blanc grape is also famous to South African wine.  With a light sweetness that reminds me of a Riesling or dry Riesling.  It has a nice balance of fruity flavor that pairs perfectly with spicy food, slightly salty food or a light salad with a tangy vinaigrette.

PAIRING - Prosciutto and Melon
Thanks to the help of Christina these little summer morsels were the perfect pairing with this crisp and slightly sweet wine.  We took cubes of cantaloupe and honeydew melon and skewered one type of the melon with a small square of prosciutto.  You can always drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top with some fresh sea salt and pepper if you'd like to add a little more spice.  The sweetness of the ripe melon heightens the fruitiness of the Vouvray and the saltiness of the prosciutto add incredible balance and finish to the wine.  For those that want a little taste of Provence, try this wine with a beef carpaccio salad too.

As we enter into the cooler months this fall and winter.  If you'd like a little reminder of spring and summer, find some ripe melon & prosciutto and pick up a bottle of a crisp Vouvray.