The weather is finally great and I am looking forward to tasting some Vouvray.  In 1999 I rented a house and spent a month in the Loire Valley home to the very special Vouvray.  Vouvray is a white wine that comes in three types, sec (dry), demi-sec (semi dry) or moelleux (sweet). We had enjoyed the moelleux very much in '99 and had a case shipped to us upon our return.   The sec and demi-sec are available in the states, but I have never seen a moelleux here, so I was on a quest to find one for the club. 

After driving through the little towns and getting a little lost, we finally stopped at a Cave des Producteurs where I hoped to try wines from several different producers.  To my delight one of the wineries they were representing was the very one we had shipped back in '99 and we tasted four of their wines including a sparking rose.  Their '03 and '05 Moelleux were both wonderful.  They are sweet but not as sweet as Sauterne or Ice Wine and they have a clean finish that makes them perfect for a warm summer day.  I think the '05 is the best and it is another wine club contender.

My last winery was Domaine Huet, which is mentioned in the excellent book, Wine and War.  This is a great book for those of you who are history buffs and also enjoy wine.  It tells the story of five French wine areas and the way they dealt with the German army during WWII.  Huet is one of the great stories in the book and I was thrilled to get to see the place myself.

We've had a very successful trip and I believe we have some wonderful wines for the club.  I am always sad to leave France, but I leave knowing I'll be back.  Until then.

Sante,
Bob