Wine List: Maçonnais (White) To Muscadet
Maçonnais is a subregion of the world-famous Burgundy wine producing region in eastern France that produces mostly white wines of varying quality and flavors. What thes wines have in common is the Chardonnay grape variety. Suggested food pairings include Crab. I Love French Wine And Food - A Mâconnais (Burgundy) Chardonnay for a review of such a wine.
Madiran
Madiran AOC is a chewy, tannic red wine from southwestern France whose major componennt is the Tannat grape variety that may also contain Cabernet-Franc and Cabernet-Sauvignon as well as Fer, a virtually unknown local variety. This wine is claimed to be very heart healthy but you should take such claims with a grain of salt. See A Wine Lover's Weekly Review Of $10 Wines - A Heart-Healthy (?) Madiran Under $10 for a review of such a wine.
Marsanne
Marsanne is a white grape variety found in the northern Rhône Valley of southeastern France, in Switzerland, in California, and especially in Australia. (See Marsanne grapes), grown in a lot of countries. This is a food friendly wine. See (Wine and Food pairing suggestions) and click on Marsanne for specifics. See A Marsanne From Victoria, Australia for a review.
Meritage, California's Bordeaux wines.
Meritage is a trademarked name for American red wines made from blends of Bordeaux grapes. Most Meritage winemakers are located in California, many of them in the famous Napa Valley. One of the best known Meritage wines is Opus One . Suggested food pairings include Steak, Lamb, and Game.
Merlot
Merlot is a popular red grape variety (see Merlot) that probably originated in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France. It is also found in Chile, Italy, Australia, and in the US, especially in California and Washington. It reaches its pinnacle in Bordeaux's Chateau Petrus which is not reviewed here. Check out My Own French Wine Articles for several French Merlots including a very affordable one by the producer of Chateau Petrus. See An Organic Rosé From Penedes, Spain (Under $15) for a Spanish Merlot.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC is a very widely exported red wine from the Abruzzi region of central Italy. See A Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Under $10 and I Love Italian Wine And Food - The Abruzzi Region for reviews of this wine.
Mourvedre
Mourvedre is a highly acidic red grape that grows mostly in France, Spain (where it is called Monastrell), California, and Australia. Perhaps its best expression is in one of the the Mediterranean's best wines, Bandol (see My Own French Wine Articles for reviews of Bandols. See A Rosé From Yecla, Spain (Under $10) for a Spanish version.
Muscadet
Muscadet is a simple white wine from the Loire Valley in northwestern France. It is the best selling wine in the Loire Valley, not known for a shortage of wines. Better quality Muscadets are fermented sur lie, they age on the dregs of the yeast before bottling. Suggested food pairings include Oysters and Mussels. Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine is a higher quality wine, recommended with Oysters and Clams . See A Wine Lover's Weekly Review Of $10 Wines - A Loire Valley (France) Muscadet for a review of such a wine. See A South Australia Low-Alcohol Rosé (Under $10) based on the Moscato version of this grape.