The Loire Valley, France

Overview

Winding along with the Loire River, the Loire Valley is peppered with magnificent castles. A reminder of a time long gone.

Most of the wines from this region, red and white, are light and crisp, and easy to enjoy. Bubbly wines from this region are considered by some to be the great value in Sparkling Wines.

Grapes

Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are the predominant white grapes, with the notable exception being the Muscadet grape of the wine of the same name.

The Red and Rose wines are almost always made from Cabernet Franc.

Sub Regions

To the far east we have the Sauvignon Blanc based white wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Grassy and rich, these are great wines with most foods.

To the far west we have the Muscadet, crisp and simple, perfect with the local seafood that would over power many other wines.

In the middle we have the Chenin Blanc based wines, some of which (Coteaux du Layon - my favorite wine) can be sweet. The dry Vouvray wines of the region are crisp with a decided green apple quality.

In the town of Chinon and its environs we find the main source for the light, almost raspberry styled red wines based on Cabernet Franc. Anjou when it is not making sweet wines, is likely to make some nice, simple Roses.

The Loire is a huge region with many distinct areas. I recommend you visit for yourself, in many ways it is representative of the best of France.

Label Info

Learn the major area I mention above, and you may have a prayer. The large number of areas, and the varying labeling habits make it hard to pin down rules for this region.

The usual rules apply, but the only hint of quality is the price and reputation of the producer.