Barton & Guestier 2015 Vouvray

A touch of sweetness and a crisp chill. Vouvray is a “go to” wine any time of year.

You’re Still The One

Our personal wine journey began with sweeter white wines, especially German Riesling. Over the years my palate recalibrated and our taste ranged to drier wines. Along the way Green Dragon and I discovered Vouvray as an excellent wine to pair with a dinner out – especially with seafood.

With our first sip of Vouvray, we glanced at each other and proclaimed, “This is really good.” Indeed it was – and is! My love for Vouvray and the Chenin Blanc grape from which it is made has never waivered. To simply roll the name off the lips conjures images of mouth-watering refreshment.

This all came back into focus last weekend. We were in North Carolina strolling Main Street in Apex, when we stopped at Provincial for lunch. The sun was streaming down and temperatures were in the 70s. We nabbed a bistro table outside and perused the menu.

I opted for a gourmet burger with homemade potato chips (although to call those crispy gems that is a disservice). Green Dragon selected the more healthy fish and salad. I discovered a nice wine list on the back and ordered a glass of Barton & Guestier Vouvray.

French Savoir Faire

I know! What was I doing ordering a chilled white wine with a meaty burger? Having a grand time is what. I was pairing the wine with a lovely Indian Summer afternoon in a funky Carolina town and the pairing was spot on. B&G Vouvray offers generous fruit with a dollop of sweetness. It was perfect on this warm day, but it pairs so well with food that it would be a shame not to drink it year-round.

Vouvray hails from the Loire Valley of France, just east of Tours. It is made with Chenin Blanc, which is high in acidity. Vouvray can be finished dry or very sweet. The best are medium sweet to help balance out the acidity. Vouvray can also be produced as a sparkling wine. I’ve had versions with just a tickle of fizz, the slightly sparkling “petillant,” and it was wonderful.

The B&G Vouvray is widely available and is priced around $12. That’s a rock-solid deal. Vouvray has an appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. It’s a change of pace from Chardonnay. Plus, you become cooler just by pronouncing “Vouvray!”