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Food-friendly Vouvray speaks Chambord Castle in France's to the versatility of

Serving Up the Loire Delve Beyond BY jeffery lindenmuth

ven the most widely planted There is no Loire Valley section on of the Loire Valley— loire valley the one-sheet list at Island Creek and region Oyster Bar, with its preponderance Chenin Blanc among whites, of white and sparkling wines. Rather, ECabernet Franc for reds—have only a United Kingdom Belgium about 100 wines are organized by flavor vaguely familiar ring for most Americans. profile, whether “Stone, Rocks + Flow- Paris Next come the truly obscure, like Loire River ers” or “Genuine Luster.” “The idea is Folle-Blanche and Romorantin, Pineau that if you took the labels off the bottles, Vourvay d’Aunis and Grolleau. Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley how would the wines present their core

is probably the Loire’s most recognized Sancerre values and distinctive flavors?” explains variety, however it accounts for only Muscadet Chinon Schlesinger-Guidelli. 22% of white grapes. The eclectic True to form for the region, Loire France nature of the Loire Valley, with over a wines are scattered throughout the list. dozen grapes contributing to red, white, Even wines from the same AOC, like rosé and sparkling, ranging from dry to SPAIN the Chenin Blanc-based whites of Vou- sweet spreading across 65 appellations, vray and Savennières, in particular, ap- is precisely why you should consider pear in multiples sections, testament to adding these wines to your wine list. The Ultimate Seafood Wine the incredible versatility of the Chenin With so many incomparable offerings, Like many seafood restaurants, Boston’s Blanc . “Two Vouvrays can be dra- the Loire Valley is often able to fill a Island Creek Oyster Bar is a natural fit matically different. Because of how the niche that no other wine region for the Loire Valley, the region’s miner- Loire River flows, there can be these can do. al-driven whites a perfect complement little pockets of great richness and ex- According to the Loire Valley Wine to the local Island Creek Oysters that traction along the way,” says Schlesing- Bureau, wines of the Loire Valley are the are the restaurant’s namesake. “From a er-Guidelli of the 300-mile stretch of most popular wines in French restau- context, Muscadet, Vouvray reaching from central France rants, where about 26% of production and Sancerre all have good name recog- to the Atlantic Ocean. is consumed. Another 20% remain for nition, but the food is the primary rea- Thankfully, one common theme of export, however, and savvy sommeliers son for including these wines,” says Tom this diverse region is value. From the are finding that U.S. restaurants might Schlesinger-Guidelli, general manager largest and most prolific Loire region be an equally fertile market. and acting wine director. of Muscadet, producing 600,000 hl of tastingcorner

Island Creek Oyster Bar’s (left) Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli; Loire Valley wines are the perfect complement to Island Creek Oysters

wine annually, Island Creek offers Mi- chel Delhommeau ‘Cuvée Harmonie’ Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2009 to top producer wines like Francois Chidaine ‘Les Argiles’ Vouvray.

Grape vs. Region According to Cyril R. Frechier, wine director at Campagne Restaurant & Café Campagne in Seattle, the diversity , with its medium body and In introducing a versatile Loire of Loire Valley wines can demand a high acidity, are excellent entry avenues white to your list, Sturgeon suggests different approach for introducing each to Loire for Frechier. looking to Vouvray for its excellent wine. “With Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and “Many people know what color wine availability, while also issuing some Quincy, we need only say Sauvignon they are going to drink when they arrive, caveats on education. “There is a lot of Blanc, because people can relate to that but not exactly the wine. So with our confusion surrounding Vouvray because grape. With Vouvray we go the opposite almond trout I can steer toward a young of the wide range of sweetness levels. direction, because the appellation has Chinon, which works well with all its We have a lot of problems with people good recognition, but Chenin Blanc fresh primary fruit,” says Frechier. who do not expect them to be sweet. I does not. With , I might refer to Amanda Reade Sturgeon, wine now list ‘off-dry’ behind the appropriate a familiar AOC, Beaujolais, as a starting director at Dovetail on Manhattan’s Vouvray, which helps, but we still have point,” says Frechier of his multi- Upper West Side, echoes the sentiment people who insist it is unexpectedly pronged approach. for Loire reds on restaurant lists. “The sweet,” adds Sturgeon, noting that a After finding some common ground, Loire is better-known for its whites, but I touch of sweetness makes these wines Frechier makes Loire wines especially am just charmed by the dark, earthiness excellent with dishes that include a appealing to explore by offering many of the reds, like the Cheverny wines degree of tartness, or rich ingredients affordable selections by the glass (6 from Pinot Noir and Gamay. Because like foie gras. oz.) or taste (3 oz.), such as a Coteaux these Loire reds are overlooked you If there is a challenge to Loire de la Loire Muscadet les Grandes can spend $50 and get a great bottle of wines, beyond the region’s refusal to be Vignes 2009 or Domaine de Vaugondy wine,” says Sturgeon. Sturgeon is also a easily defined, it’s that many produc- Vouvray Sec 2009 to accompany fan of the region’s white wines, offering ers are small and sourcing wines can a few oysters. both a basic Domaine de la Tourmaline be difficult, especially from the smaller By organizing all bottles by grape Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, “Sur Lie” AOCs. “There is a lot to choose from in variety, Frechier does a service to 2009 as well as cult favorite Nicolas Muscadet, Sancerre and Chinon, but it even lesser known Loire Valley AOCs, Joly Le Clos Sacrés “Savennières” 2007 can be challenging to locate the more allowing Pouilly-Fumé to cavort with by the glass. unusual wines. I’ve been searching for white Bordeaux, and Jasniéres to tag a white Chinon forever,” says Stur- along with Vouvray. In utilizing red geon. Frechier appreciates the wines wines of the Loire, Frechier exudes from Loire co-ops like Cave de Saumur, enthusiasm for the region’s Cabernet which offer large production and great Franc: “I find Cabernet Franc is very value, while he looks for discriminat- consumer-friendly. It hits all the bells ing importers including Robert Kacher and whistles of a great by-the-glass pour, and Kermit Lynch for the best hand- which means it is drinkable young, with picked portfolios. Loire Valley wine moderate tannins and warm-toned fruit can appear diverse, both expansive flavors that people really enjoy.” and elusive, and occasionally surpris- ing—attributes that sommeliers and Beyond White Wine diners alike are coming to remember Both , with its simi- as the very reasons they began to love lar name and some common flavors, and wine in the first place. n Loire Valley wines are on Piazza Michael of courtesy photo restaurant and Schlesinger-Guidelli Tom the menu at NYC's Dovetail