Vouvray Wine Guide: History, Taste, Made, Style, Pairing

You probably are familiar with different types of white wine, but some of you may not be familiar with Vouvray Wine. “What is Vouvray Wine?” might be the question that pops into your head.

This blog will tell you what you need to know about Vouvray wine, its history, what it tastes like, how it is made, its variety, and what food pairs the best with this wine.

What is Vouvray Wine?

If you are looking for a complete package of wine, Vouvray wine is the one you are looking for. Experts call this wine the ‘complete package’ as it has one of the most exciting tastes among other white ones.

Vouvray wineis a type of white wine from a grapes called Chenin Blanc that grows from the River Banks of Loire in the France District and sometimes have an addition of Arbois grapes. Vouvray wine has different varieties, sweet to dry, and each bottle has separate and distinct characteristics.

Pronounced as “voo-ray,” Vouvray wine has a wide range from sparking, dry, sweet, and the most popular being brut and off-dry sparkling, which is made from the ingredients same as Champagne.

Vouvray wine is famous for being demi-sec or off-dry wine, which means half-sweet wine that helps to balance the acidity and vital minerals of the wine.

Where Does Vouvray Wine come from?

Vouvray Wine uses Chenin Blanc grapes found on the banks of the Loir River in the France District. It is often known as one of the most famous and respected wines from the north bank of the Loir River and is loved by the villages of the old medieval town that used to be known as Vouvray.

During the middle-ages, the Chenin Blanc grape, referred to as Pineau de la Loire, is said that originated in the region of Anjou during the 9th century. Eventually, it was brought to Vouvray, near the Montlouis. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the merchants from the Dutch planted multiple seeds of Chenin Blanc in the vineyards of Vouvray in the Loire Valley.

After blending the Chenin grapes from all over the place Touraine, they created sparkling wines that were labeled as ‘Vouvray.’ The Dutch traders built wine cellars inside the cave to produce an excavating tuffeau rock used for making châteaus.

Because of the cold and steady temperature inside these caves, they used them as the perfect place for aging sparkling wines. In 1936, the Vouvray region was named an AOC or Appellation d’origine controlee.

Some places also gained a reputation for creating Vouvray wine, including Montlouis and Anjou.

Since you already know what Vouvray Wine is and where this wine came from, let us know to proceed on what Vouvray wine tastes like!

What Does Vouvray Wine taste like?

Vouvray Wines are described as slightly intense white wines depending on the variation of the wine that you are drinking. You can smell the scent of apples, honeysuckles, and pears since Vouvray wine is typically associated with these fruits.

The average flavor profile of this wine is described as fruity, lean, dry, and very sweet. These wines are very appealing when they are young since they consist of flavors such as acacia, citrus, rose, and brioche.

Vouvray Wines, especially if it is a dry Vouvray wines, are rich with their classic flavors, while other Vouvray wines can sometimes be soft on your taste buds and can be sensual and smooth depending on their level of sweetness. But all in all, Vouvray wine has a good taste and freshness.

Hence, Vouvray Wines differ from person to person because of how these wines are made. The Vouvray wine differs in how it is produced and where it was built. Thus, if you are looking for a dried Vouvray wine, try buying chardonnay.

If you want a sweeter taste, try the classic Chenin Blanc Gold.

You can choose from plenty of dry and off-dry Vouvray wines from different places. Below is a table guide on their characteristics.

Charateristics	Style	Body	Acidity	Sweetness	Tannins
Chalone, Chappellet, Dry Creek (USA)	Cool Climate	Light – Medium	High	Dry-off dry	Low
Kanu, Mulderbosch (South Africa)	Warm Climate	Medium	Medium (+)	Dry, fruity	Low
Milton (New Zealand)	Demi-sec	Medium (+) – Full	Perceived as low	Sweet	Low

How Does Vouvray Wine Make?

Vouvray Wine is made from grapes known as Chenin Blanc harvested in successive. Because of this, it created a trademark of the honeyed botrytis character.

The Chenin Blanc grapes are often harvested during cold months or years and picked during these years to have drier-tasting wines, which is Vouvray. Some farmers in a particular area allow a fungus known as ‘noble rot’ to grow its vines so that the grapes’ sweetness when harvested increases.

After picking the grapes, the process of wine depends on the type of Vouvray they aim to make. Different strategies are used for wines’ sweet, sparkling, and dry versions.

The reason why Vouvray wines have so many variations is all because of the immense versatility of the Chenin Blanc grapes. The Vouvray was introduced in December 1936, and it remained to have a single appellation regardless of the style it covers.

Different Varieties of Vouvray Wine

Wine differs in colors from medium straw, such as sparkling wines, to deep gold wines, like sweet Moelleux. The Chenin Blanc grapes cover a wide range on making wines, especially Vouvray wines, with over 3 million gallons of 52% sparkling wines and 48% still wine produced annually.

The aroma of these wines is sometimes intense, which delivers flavors such as pear, apple, honeysuckle, and quince. Others offer a minimal amount of beeswax and ginger from the presence of noble rot.

The common styles of Vouvray wines are Sparkling wine and Still wine. On this day, sparkling wines are the most known style in producing Vouvray wines. They are known as a method that traditionally uses the same way of making Champagne.

Here is the table guide we made if you want to know the varieties of Vouvray wines.

Types of Vouvray Wine	Vouvray Wine Label	Sweetness Level
Sparkling Wine	● Brut ● Demi-Sec	● Dry ● Sweet
Still Wine	● Sec ● Tendre ● Demi-Sec ● Moelleux	● Dry ● Off Dry ● Sweet ● Very Sweet

Foods That Pair Best with Vouvray Wine

As we have said above, Vouvray wine is made from Chenin Blanc, which is a versatile grape that creates different types of Vouvray wines. Therefore, plenty of foods pair the best and work well with Vouvray Wine.

If you have dry white Vouvray wines in your home, flavored fish dishes such as seafood stew, monkfish, smoked salmon, or any dish with white sauce or soft cheese go perfectly with this wine.

Demi-Sec wines go perfectly with fish and white meats that use creamy sauces like chicken livers, veal sweetbreads with mushrooms, and skate wings. Salers or Reblochon and Swiss Gruyère cheeses pair the best with this type of wine.

If you like sweet wines, desserts with flavors of apples, pears, or almond paste with blue cheese go perfectly with this wine.

If you prefer sparkling wines, below are the most popular dishes that match this type of wine best.

Souffle with Baked Goats Cheese

The acidity and crispiness of the Vouvray wine work well with this type of food since the wine will cut through your mouth as the soufflé provide its delicious richness. The goat’s cheese creaminess also pairs perfectly with the zesty and fruity note of Vouvray wine, making this food and wine a perfect combination.

Chicken Liver with Homemade Apple Chutney

This food also perfectly pairs with the Chenin Blanc Vouvray since this type of wine creates a feeling where you can feel the fruitiness and earthiness of the wine because of the oak barrel that has matured for over eight months.

The Chicken Liver and Vouvray wine goes perfectly with apple chutney as the fruity and natural flavors of these foods combine to enhance your experience while eating buttery chicken with a savory combination of chicken livers and perfect white wine.

Fried Rice Balls

When you mix deep-fried risottos with cheese, you can make rich and creamy food that goes well with Vouvray white wine. An example is the Gorgonzola food, which pairs perfectly with this type of wine.

3 Vouvray Wines You Should Consider Buying (Prices and Tasting notes included)

Here is the list we created for you to consider what type of Vouvray wine you should buy.

Chateau Gaudrelle Vouvray (Alexandre Monmousseau)

This wine is only for $50 or higher price which Chateau Gaudrelle produced. It has a deep orange color from the dessert of Loire Valley with an aroma of caramelized orange peel with a hint of yellow plums.

1990 Botrytis (François Pinon)

This wine is from the wineries of the Valley of the Loire and can be consumed until 2030. This wine’s acidity will delight you as it balances the sweetness and lushness with the notes of peach, flowers, and apricots. You can buy this wine for $247.

Oppidium Vouvray 2008

This wine is a dry Chenin from the silex soils in Loire Valley. This type of wine has an aroma of the sweetness of honey and beeswax that evokes intense scents of pepper and curry. For only $94, you can get a wine like this.

Summary

We learned that Vouvray Wines are among the favorite wine styles many people love. In this blog, we hope we answered your question regarding “What is Vouvray Wine?” Also, do not forget to try the food parings included in this blog!