Muscadet Festival Debuts in North America

Dana Nigro
Posted: August 3, 1999

For the past three years, the release of the latest vintage of Muscadet Sur Lie -- a crisp white wine from France's Loire Valley -- has been celebrated with a traveling festival in Europe. This year, for the first time, the Nantes Wine Bureau is bringing the celebration to North America, stopping in New Orleans, New York and Montreal.

The festival, "Muscadet: Impressionist Moments," starts with the arrival of a sailing ship that unloads its cargo of 1998 Muscadet on a dock near a re-created 19th century riverside cafe, offering seafood dishes and Muscadet samples. Public access to the event is free, including entertainment such as strolling actors in period costumes, musicians and dancers, a painting contest and a barrel-rolling demonstration.

Muscadet Sur Lie is aged on its lees (the dead yeast cells and grape solids that settle to the bottom of a wine during and after fermentation) instead of being racked or filtered. This extended lees contact adds complex flavors to the wines.

The sailing ship docked in New Orleans on July 30. The event will be held in New York on Aug. 12 from noon to 9:30 p.m. at the South Street Seaport and in Montreal on Aug. 17 at Le Vieux-Port from 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (212) 695-2475 or check www.muscadet.org.

To learn more about Muscadet, read:

June 30, 1998
The Loire On a Roll