Vouvray Wine and Food Pairings

When I heard that the French Winophiles were focusing this month on white wines from the Loire, I thought this would be a great chance to focus on Vouvray Wine and Food Pairings. I’ve long appreciated Vouvray as a versatile wine pairing option, and this provided a chance to dig deeper into the topic.

This month, the French Winophiles group is exploring white wines of the Loire. Thanks to Jeff from foodwineclick for hosting!

The Loire is definitely a great region to explore if you are fan of high quality white wines! Stretching from the Atlantic ocean in the west to the Massif Central in the heart of France, the majority of Loire Valley wines are white. They are primarily made from Sauvignon Blanc, Vouvray, and Melon B. There are some good red wines to check out, too, such as Cabernet Franc from Chinon.

I missed my chance to visit the Loire when traveling in France after graduating from college. We were planning to spend a day biking in the region, but my friend sprained his ankle while we were running to catch the train in Bordeaux. We wound up opting for some more leisurely activities in Paris, so the Loire is still on my to visit list!

But for now, we can visit the Loire through the glass! I decided to focus on Vouvray wine, as I have long enjoyed pairing Vouvray with a variety of foods.

I did consider focusing Pouilly-Fumé, as I’ve had fun pairing with the wines and have a popular piece exploring food pairings for Pouilly-Fuissé and Pouilly-Fumé. But today it’s Vouvray!

About Vouvray Wine

Vouvray wine comes from the Touraine district in the heart of France's Loire Valley, just east of the city of Tours. The vineyards stretch along the right bank of the Loire River, where the chalky limestone soils and cool climate create wines with freshness and energy. Vouvray is near other well-known Loire regions such as Montlouis-sur-Loire, Chinon, and Saumur, making it a great area to explore for anyone who loves discovering the diversity of Loire wines. I will have to check it out one of these days!

Made entirely from Chenin Blanc grapes, Vouvray wine can range from crisp and dry to lusciously sweet. Despite its modest size - estimated at 4,500 to 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) under vine - Vouvray is home to many producers crafting wines that showcase the versatility of Chenin Blanc.

A good amount of Vouvray production today is sparkling, but the still wines remain especially popular for food pairings thanks to their vibrant acidity and layered fruit flavors. I have certainly enjoyed creating food pairings for Vouvray wine for this article, and look forward to continuing to experiment with Vouvray pairings!

Vouvray Wine Styles

Vouvray has a wide range of styles, which makes it fun to explore and pair with food. All Vouvray is made from Chenin Blanc grapes from the Loire, but depending on the ripeness of the grapes and the winemaking process, the result can be anything from dry and crisp to quite sweet.

Here's an overview of Vouvray wine styles:

• Sec (Dry): Crisp and mineral-driven, dry Vouvray shows off citrus and green apple notes along with acidity. Recommended pairings include seafood, goat cheese, or roast chicken.
• Demi-Sec (Off-Dry): The most versatile style for food pairing, demi-sec Vouvray has just a touch of sweetness balanced by vibrant acidity. Suggested pairings for the off-dry Vouvray style focus on dishes that have a balance balance of savory and sweet- like roast pork with fruit, curries, or chicken with apples and fennel (I came across this suggestion after we enjoyed this combination!).
• Moelleux (Sweet): These Vouvrays are richer, honeyed wines often made from grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis). Expect flavors of apricot, quince, and wildflower honey. I don’t recall having tried sweet Vouvray wines; it’s a style I’m more familiar with coming from Bordeaux.
• Sparkling (Mousseux or Pétillant): Vouvray is also made in sparkling form, following the méthode traditionnelle - sometimes lightly effervescent (pétillant), sometimes fully bubbly (mousseux). The dry versions are crisp and refreshing, while the off-dry styles bring a hint of fruit sweetness. We started our sampling for this article with a Vouvray in this category.

Sparkling Vouvray pairings

We started our recent exploration of Vouvray wine pairings by opening a sparkling Vouvray, the Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Petillant Brut ($22, 12.5% ABV). The nose is yeasty, with some caramel notes. The taste features a fresh flavor of pear fruit with a clean finish. Also has a touch of nutmeg spice.

First, we had a glass with a goat Brie cheese. The brightness of the wine along with the bubbles made for a great pairing with the cheese!

We managed to save enough of the bubbly to pair with our main course. I made pasta with greens and ricotta cheese, featuring mustard greens and the bold flavors they bring to the table. The greens get sautéed and then puréed with with the cheese to offset the flavor. I topped the pasta with some fresh local tomatoes. The dish is based upon a Moosewood cookbook recipe.

The sparkling Vouvray worked pretty well with the pasta dish, too. This Vouvray cleansed the palate after bites of with the peppery flavor of the greens and the creamy cheese. I would still say that the brie with sparkling Vouvray was my preferred pairing with the bubbly.

Vouvray with Pork Chimichurri

Next up in our Vouvray pairings featured the 2023 Georges Meurgey Vouvrary ($35), with alcohol given as a range between 11% to 14%.

We are featuring this Vouvray at an event we are doing for Social Capital Inc., with Cuban food and wine provided by StephenUncorked. I chatted with Stephen in our latest podcast episode, talking about how wine can bring people together as well as some of the specific wines he offers. If you happen to be reading this before October 14, 2025, and want to join us at Gustazo Cuban restaurant in Waltham, we can squeeze you in if you act quickly!

Stephen mentioned that this Vouvray goes well with a citrus marinated pork dish Gustazo serves, so that led me to feature it with my Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri. I added a bit of lime to accentuate the flavors mentioned in the tasting notes. Keeping the Cuban theme in mind, I also made Cuban Black Beans and Rice, from this Food & Wine recipe. Delicious – I definitely recommend it!

The Meurgey Vouvray has honeysuckle and kiwi on the nose. On the palate, pear and notes of honey. Definitely a bit of sweetness on this, would characterize it as demi-sec. It is a well-balanced wine, so I definitely liked it even though I typically prefer drier styles.

This Vouvray was good with the pork & chimichurri, as well as the black beans. I would say a bit more heat in the dish would have enhanced the pairing.

Interestingly enough, I thought this Vouvray wine was even better with the fresh local veggies we had on the plate. It was excellent with what was probably our last local corn on the cob of the season, playing nicely with the butter and salt. Also, the body of this Vouvray probably helped make it go well with the corn. The Vouvray was also delicious with the salad, which centered on ripe local heirloom tomatoes. The wine seemed to do well with all that acidity.

Chicken with Fennel & Apples

For the final bottle of Vouvray we tried for this article, we went with the 2023 Réserve du Naufraget Vouvray ($16, 12% ABV). Floral notes on the nose. Similar to the Meurgey, I got pear and honey on the palate. This one had a flintiness to it, and was a bit drier relatively speaking, but still had a touch of sweetness.

I paired this Vouvray with Sheet Pan Chicken with Apple, Fennel and Onion from NY Times Cooking (gift link included). I’d say this was the best Vouvray / entree pairing I did for this article, as the wine was a very good match with the chicken. The body was just right for a chicken dish, and the wine picked up the nuanced flavors of fennel and apple.

More Loire White Wine Articles

Be sure to check out the articles from my Winophiles colleagues about some wonderful white wines from the Loire!

• Terri from Our Good Life shares "A Perfect Pairing: Sancerre Les Baronnes Henri Bourgeois with Creamed Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "Getting reacquainted with a Loire wine and a local wine seller "
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Coq au Vin Blanc and a Sancerre from Loire Valley"
• Camilla from Culinary Cam shares "Melon de Bourgogne: Its Journey to Muscadet and an Array of Autumn Pairings"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares "Pork and Apples with Château Soucherie Savennières"