Loire Valley: It’s Not Just Bordeaux and Burgandy

By Samuel Ritter

 

When you talk French wines, most people gravitate to Bordeaux and Burgundy. Perhaps, this is for good reason: they are the two most popular and well-known areas for French wines. However, if you are after some of the finest wines France produces, it is the Loire Valley you would want. So, let’s take a trip along France’s longest river (629 miles) and visit an area that represents more than a fifth of France’s land area!

The Loire River Valley follows the Loire River along its path from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to central France in the east. Over 185,000 acres are planted with grapevines, an area of about two-thirds the size of the Bordeaux wine region. 

The Loire Valley is divided into three regions: The Upper Loire Valley in the east includes the world-famous areas of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, known throughout the world for its Sauvignon Blanc wines. The Middle Loire includes the areas of Touraine, Saumur, Chinon and Vouvray. It is in this region that the acclaimed Chenin Blanc wines predominate, although one region in particular, Chinon, is perhaps best known for its Cabernet Franc. Finally, the Lower Loire, which leads westward to the river’s entrance to the Atlantic Ocean, is best known for the Muscadet region and its wines is dominated by the Melon de Bourgogne grape. Let’s look a bit more closely at these regions. 

 

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume

These two towns sit across from each other on the Loire River. Pouilly-Fume only produces white wines (as controlled by the French Appllation d’Origine Contrôlée or AOC laws) while Sancerre produces red, white and rose wines. The Sauvignon Blanc wines from this area are full-bodied and very rich in texture. They exude grapefruit and gooseberry characteristics and are unlike Sauvignon Blanc wines produced anywhere else in the world. These are crisp and herbaceous wines usually fermented totally in stainless steel tanks with little or no oak.

 

Anjou-Saumur

In the Middle Loire, the Anjou region around the town of Angers is best known for its rose wines. They are based on Cabernet Franc grapes and are favorites, especially at this time of the year.

 

Vouvray and Touraine

Also in the Middle Loire region, the wines of this area are predominated by Chenin Blanc grapes, although they produce a wide variety of white, red and rose wines as well. The village of Vouvray makes only white wines from Chenin Blanc. This explains why when you are buying French wines, Vouvray as well as other areas are synonymous with the wine type or varietal, as opposed to wines from, for instance, the United States, which are varietal-labelled. These Chenin Blanc wines, however, can range from sweet to bone dry. The wines, in general, are known for their high acidity and age quite well.

 

Chinon

Finally in this region, the area around the towns of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint Nicholas de Bourgueil produces the majority of the Loire Valley red wines. These are based on the Cabernet Franc grape, which yield soft, raspberry-like wines, especially from the Chinon area.

 

Muscadet

Located in the Lower Loire region, this westernmost area near the city of Nantes is known worldwide for its wines based on the Melon de Bourgogne grape. This is an early-ripening grape and has no relation to the Muscat family of grapes.

At this time of the year, as spring has sprung and the weather is warming up, we often turn to wines which are somewhat lighter and whiter. If you have not had Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire Valley or Chinon Blancs from this area, I would strongly recommend them to you. Whether with fish or lighter meats or even appetizers/tapas, these wines will offer you much pleasure on the palate. Enjoy the warm weather: a votre sante!

Sam Ritter is a member of the Court and Guild of Master Sommeliers. He is also a consultant sommelier to a number of western North Carolina’s restaurants sommolier for area fine restaurants and a frequent contributor to Boom! Magazine.