Wine can be extremely confusing. There are so many grapes and regions around the world, and sometimes, the region and the grape are basically synonymous, or one wine will be called by its grape name while another is called by its regional name in the same area! It can be hard to keep it all straight if you aren’t actively studying wine on a regular basis.
One of these times when the grape and the wine it makes are practically synonymous is in the Muscadet region of the Loire Valley where the grape, Melon de Bourgogne, makes Muscadet wines. Did you know that? Did you know that Muscadet is not actually the name of the grape?
Melon de Bourgogne is also called “Melon de B” or simply, “Melon,” in other parts of the world where it is grown, such as Oregon and the Puget Sound area around Seattle, Washington. It’s a white grape that originally hails from the Burgundy region but was pushed out at some point in favor of other white grapes (ahem, Chardonnay).
Now, Melon de B has found a safe home in the western edge of the Loire Valley near the French city of Nantes, where it has practically become synonymous with Muscadet wines–the light, crisp, oyster-pairing white wines that put this region on the map.
Find out more about this grape and its impact on the wine world through my grape profile page on Melon de Bourgogne on Winetraveler.com. Drop me a comment below with your favorite Muscadet producers and why you love Melon de Bourgogne.
History & Wine 
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