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Muscadet Impressions
Posted: February 3, 2000
Muscadet Impressions
The theme of this year's festival was French Impressionism, as Muscadet
is said to have had a loyal following among painters such as Manet, Monet and
Renoir. The wine was transported along the Loire River to the open-air
cafes that sprung up along the Seine and Marne rivers outside Paris
after alcohol sales in the French capital were heavily taxed.
In the
latter half of the 19th century, these cafes, or "guingettes," became
popular among working-class Parisians and artists, who enjoyed the
less-expensive dining along with "plein-air" activities such as boating
and swimming. Recreating the Impressionist lifestyle, the Muscadet
festival featured painters, French dancers and musicians, and barrel
rollers demonstrating their skills on the South Street Seaport piers.
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