A Primer on Vouvray
From Adventures on the Wine Route
by Kermit Lynch
Kermit and René Loyau
© Gail Skoff
© Jimmy Hayes
Céline Champalou
© Jimmy Hayes
Vouvray
© Jimmy Hayes
Catherine, Didier, and Céline
© Champalou
The Champalou cellar
© Gail Skoff
The fact that Vouvray appears in several different guises must render it difficult for the public to comprehend. But once sorted out, the multiple personalities of Vouvray become an attraction, a complete little cosmos of wines ranging from gay to profound.
Kermit and René Loyau
© Gail Skoff
© Jimmy Hayes
Céline Champalou
© Jimmy Hayes
Vouvray
© Jimmy Hayes
Catherine, Didier, and Céline
© Champalou
The Champalou cellar
© Gail Skoff
The fact that Vouvray appears in several different guises must render it difficult for the public to comprehend. But once sorted out, the multiple personalities of Vouvray become an attraction, a complete little cosmos of wines ranging from gay to profound.
A Primer on Vouvray
From Adventures on the Wine Route
by Kermit Lynch
Vouvray’s wine is a product of what we call the Chenin Blanc grape, but I prefer the local name, Pineau de la Loire, and [René] Loyau is of the opinion that the original plantings of Pineau were Pinot, the Chardonnay, imported to Vouvray from Burgundy. Over sixteen centuries or more, the plant evolved ever so slowly as it adapted to Vouvray’s soil and climate. Even today, Loyau says, certain Vouvrays show a striking aromatic kinship to the Chardonnays of the Côte d’Or. I have no opinion beyond finding Loyau’s theory intriguing; however, I can say that the aroma of a good Vouvray is more reminiscent of Meursault (minus the new oak) than it is of the California rendition of Chenin Blanc.
Although produced from this single grape variety, Vouvray yields more than a single type of wine. The fact that Vouvray appears in several different guises must render it difficult for the public to comprehend. But once sorted out, the multiple personalities of Vouvray become an attraction, a complete little cosmos of wines ranging from gay to profound.
Vouvray can be a sparkling wine with a froth like Champagne’s. Such bottles are labeled Vouvray Mousseux.
Or it can offer a more delicate bead, and these are labeled Vouvray Pétillant, whose light sparkle might arise intentionally or not, because in the traditional cold chalk cellars, Vouvray exhibits a natural desire to pétiller, or sparkle. A generous dose of sulfur dioxide will suppress this desire, but that is a bit like whipping a dog for wagging its tail. Instead, one might regard Vouvray’s tendency to pétiller, to revisit the ebullient days of its infancy, as an additional charm. What harm is there in a subtle effervescence, a liveliness on the palate, which also serves to propel and rejuvenate the aroma? For some reason, many tasters seem to be threatened by such a spirited display of energy, so most Vouvray producers resort to all sorts of technical shenanigans to keep their wine still. Vouvray Pétillant has practically disappeared from the marketplace. When I imported a few cases, customers returned it because they thought it was still fermenting. In the Vouvray cellars, however, the pétillant continues to be produced. It is poured for friends and downed with great pleasure.
As for still Vouvrays, they can be dry (sec), off-dry (demi-sec), or unctuous and botrytized like Sauternes (moelleux). They can be fresh, seductive wines that drink well right out of the barrel, or perfectly developed old masterpieces after several decades.
Below are three selections from the Champalou family that showcase the multiple personalities of Vouvray.
Wines In The Collection
Champalou France | Loire
Made from Chenin Blanc in the Champagne method, this cuvée is the quintessential apéritif sparkling wine, with notes of apple and pear and a fine bead.
Champalou France | Loire
This is Vouvray sec of the cold mountain stream persuasion—bracing, with a clean finish.
Champalou France | Loire
The sweetness—more like a honeyed roundness—is at the front of each sip, then whisked away by the same brisk finish as their Vouvray sec.
France | Loire
Made from Chenin Blanc in the Champagne method, this cuvée is the quintessential apéritif sparkling wine, with notes of apple and pear and a fine bead.
France | Loire
This is Vouvray sec of the cold mountain stream persuasion—bracing, with a clean finish.
France | Loire
The sweetness—more like a honeyed roundness—is at the front of each sip, then whisked away by the same brisk finish as their Vouvray sec.
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