WineRegionsOld WorldFranceLoire
The Loire Valley
The Loire valley follows the Loire river in a kind of crescent shape fromthe center of France to the Atlantic coast. The wines of the Loire, arecrisp whites on both ends, Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc, with richer wines,Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, in the middle.
From it's source in the Cevennes Mountains, the Loire flows through about1000 kilometers (625 miles) and twelve departements of green, peaceful countryside,ancient towns and fine chateaux before reaching the Atlantic. It is thelongest river in France, and the variations in soil, climate and grape varietiesfound along its banks and those of its tributaries are reflected in thewide range of wines grown in the four major wine-producing districts. Runningeast from the Bay of Biscay, the districts are Nantes-Anjou-Saumur, Touraineand the Central Vineyards.
Red, white and rose, still, petillant and fully sparkling, some sixtydifferent appellations ranging in style from bone-dry to intensely sweet,are strung out across half of France. The two crisp white wines at eitherend of the Loire are the Muscadet wines of Nantes and the Sauvignon winesof Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in the Central Vineyards, while the fullerwines of all types are to be found in the central districts of Anjou-Saumurand Touraine: Anjou Rose, sparkling Saumur and Vouvray, the rich, sweetwines of Bonnezeaux and Quarts-de-Chaume in the Coteaux du Layon , and thered wines of Bourgeuil, Chinon and Champigny
THE LOIRE'S MOST IMPORTANT GRAPE
The Chenin blanc grape produces four distinctly different styles of wine:dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling. This is due to traditional practicesthat have been forced on growers by the vagaries of climate. This grapehas abundant natural acidity and, if it receives enough sun, a high sugarcontent. But the Loire is considered a northern area in viticultural terms,and the wine grower must contend with late frosts, cold winds and variablesummers. Given a sunny year, the grower's natural inclination is to makethe richest wine possible with this sweet and tangy grape, but in many vintages,only a medium or a dry style can be achieved. Apart from exceptions likeSavennieres, dry Chenin blanc wines are all too often thin, harsh and acidic.
These wines do little to enhance the reputation of the Loire, but they dohave similar characteristics to the wines of Champagne in that they aredisappointing when still, yet glamorous when sparkling. It is little wonderthen, that as the Champagne trade rapidly evolved in the nineteenth centuryso the seeds of a sparkling wine industry were sown in Saumur, and todaythe Loire boasts the largest such market outside of Champagne itself.