Just as The Aristocrats is the dirty joke that comedians tell each other after the punters have gone home, Vouvray is the tipple of choice among sommeliers once the ties have come off at the end of the evening.
Named after a small village in France's Loire Valley, Vouvray is steely and vivacious when young -- some even call it "nervous" -- but it is also among the world's longest-lived white wines. Vouvray can age magnificently for decades, and has been known to remain in prime condition for more than a century.
Indeed, in a recent Decanter Magazine feature on the 100 greatest wines ever made, a 1947 Huet Vouvray placed sixth, outranked among other whites only by the legendary 1921 Chateau d'Yquem.