The Loire Valley

Come across the 800km of roads to discover the Loire Valley vineyards and get pleasure to discover this historical region during visits in the wineries but also in the great Loire Chateaux with tastings. With harmonious red wines, fruity and lively white’s as rosé with nature and flower flavors, the Loire Valley wines seduce all palates.

Loire Valley wine, between history and territory diversity

At the Gallo-roman era, the wine was already a main pillar of the Loire Valley, and through the years it became a jewel of the local culture, as the vineyard/castle relationship was reinforced. Along the river there are many castles which are part of the French history as Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau and Amboise, as many prestigious wine appellations. Many wines are part of the « Loire Valley Wine », all produced along the river from the source to the ocean, spread over 200 000 hectares, across 15 departments and gathering 68 appellations.  Its diversity made of this vineyard one of the most complex of France. It is customary to divide the Loire Valley into 4 regions. First the Nivernais and the Berry, kingdom of the Sauvignon, offer quality white wines, as from Pouilly-sur-Loire, Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly, Quincy, Châteaumeillant… The glorious region of Tourraine, because of its vineyards and castles, is the cradle of Vouvray, Montlouis, Cheverny, Chinon, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, Valençay wines. The Anjou, less known, but lent by poets offer great surprises as wines from Saumur-Champigny, Coteaux du Layon, Coteaux de la Loire, Cabernet d’Anjou, Coteau de Saumur. The last vineyard of the Loire Valley is the Pays Nantais, which thanks to the oceanic climates offer wines as Muscadet, Muscadet de Sèvre et de Maine, Muscadet des Coteaux de la Loire.

The Loire river influence on the wines

Unlike many territories with delimited borders, the Loire Valley is considered as a vineyards mosaic with blurred limits and where the unity is build around a grape variety or a wine tradition. As we observe previously, the 4 wines regions (Centre, Touraine, Anjou and Pays Nantais) divided the Loire Valley, as its climates and soils. Indeed, each region has its own climates, which allow to offer a large range of wines.
In Pays Nantais, the lands enjoy of the oceanic climate, sweet, humid and windy. In Anjou the climate is also oceanic, sweet and humid but the winds are less intense. As you move from the ocean, the more the climate changes, in Tourraine region the humidity and the winds are reduced, the mildness is less sensitive during winter. The continental influence dominates in the Centre, even if we observe some coastal influences, the summers are warmer and dryer, but the winters are harder. The Loire Valley are characterized by a large variety of soils, which allow to the grape varieties to grow differently in a same wine area. The Centre vineyards offer clay-limestone soils mainly sandy, and sometimes very chalky as in Sancerre. This specificity allow to the Sauvignon to grown as anywhere else, and then offer one of the most prestigious French white wine. In Tourraine, the soils are sandy, as you move to the South Valley, more the soils are clay-limestone. The Anjou territories are covered of gravels and chalky sands, whereas in the Pays Nantais is is the end of the chalky rocks, lands are more stony.

To better understand the Loire Valley wine region, let’s discover the different regions.
The Pays Nantais, the other name of the Muscadet.

The Pays Nantais is spread from the Loire river estuary to the Maine et Loire. The Muscadet is a pillar of the region, this wine is named by its grape variety, also called « melon of Burgundy ».
The Muscadet is divided into 3 appellations : Muscadet des Coteaux de la Loire with the weaker production, Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine, the largest Muscadet area, the wines are fruity, supple and with musk savors and the Muscadet appellation with light and simple wines. The Pays Nantais also gathering 4 vineyards from Vendée (Mareuil, Brem, Vix and Pissotte) under the appellation Fief Vendéen. This appellation produces red wines and light white wines, the Chenin and the Gamay grape variety are at the origin of this fresh and lively wines. The PDO Gros-Plant from Pays Nantais is produced from the « folle blanche » (crazy white). This grape variety has a great acidity and produce wines which are better young. At the East of the Pays Nantais, there is the PDO Coteaux d’Ancenis, the wines are produced from the Chenin and the Malvoisie for the white wines, this is why they are similar to the Anjou ones, and the fruity red from Gamay, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Cabernet-Franc.

The Anjou between syrupy wines of Coteaux du Layon and Saumur Champigny

The Anjou, large area of 12 000 hectares, covers the main part of the Maine et Loire. This wine region benefits from a micro-climate which allows to the wine-makers to enjoy a great indian summer.
For long time the wines from Saumur are appreciated and this appellation has known its time of glory, often coveted by Dutch and Belgians, before being touched by the phylloxera. Today the appellation involves 38 municipalities. The dry white wines as the sparkling are from the Chenin, whereas the red are from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis.
The Saumur-Champigny, also called Champigny, offer great characteristics, less tannic than the Bordeaux wine, they propose a garnet color with violet flower savors. During its young years it is supple, but it is better to wait to taste it, the Saumur-Champigny deserve around 10 years to grow and affirm its character.
The Anjou region appellation produces red, white and sparkling wines. The grape varieties used are the Chenin, the Sauvignon and the Chardonnay for the white wines, and the Cabernet Franc and the Pineau d’Aunis for the red wines. The Anjou rosé also deserved to be highlighted, indeed the rosé are from many grape varieties as the Groslot, the Cot or also the Gamay, and it needs to be drink rapidly.
The syrupy wines from Coteaux du Layon, with acacia and honey savors take part of the great French syrupy wines. Each municipalities offer different characteristics according to its soils. In Saint Aubain de Luigné, the carboniferous soils offer full-bodied and strong wines, in Beaulieu, the wines are more delicates then in Rablay the wines are lighter.

The Touraine, Vouvray, Chinon and the Loire Castles

The Touraine is spread from Chinon to the Orleans region, also known as the France’s Garden. This region was the native land of many artists and savants as Rossard, Rabelais or even Decartes. The France history and its kings have also let their marks on the terroir.
Cheverny, in the South-East of Blois, produces original white wines thank to a particular grape variety: the Romorantin, it gives to the wine savors to be full-bodied very unique. The wines from Valencay and from Cheverny have numerous similarities according the white wines.
The Touraine is known for its sparkling wines, as from Vouvray, Touraine or Montlouis sur Loire. Based on the Chenin, the Vouvray is characterized by its delicate and delicious savors of quince, whereas the Montlouis is lighter.
The Chinon is without doubt one of the most famous of Touraine, for long time Rabelais has praised the Touraine and the wines from Chinon . From Cabernet-Franc, Chinon is distinguished by a lightness, violet savors and a light color.
The PDO Bourgueil is spread over 1400 hectares in the South of Tours. The wines are mainly made from the Cabernet-Franc. We can talk about the wines of gravel (supple and savored) and the tufs wines (more complexe and strong).

The Centre-Loire, Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire, land of Sauvignon

The Centre-Loire is composed of eight appellations, we can named the wines of the Nivernais and the wines of the Berry.
The vineyard of Pouilly-sur-Loire produced two main grape varieties for the white wines: the Sauvignon and the Chasselas. The Sauvignon has helped to the birth of the Pouilly-Fumé, full-bodied with musk savors, with years it becomes delicate and round but also develops spices flavors. The Chasselas is the base of the Pouilly-sur-Loire with hazelnuts savors.
Sancerre is present on 2270 hectares and offer elegant white wines, the chalky soil, also called « caillote » gives a mineral character and vegetable shades to the wines. The Pinot Noir is also used for the red wines, offering light and agreeable wines, but also for the rosé, fruity and colored. The Sauvignon also dominate in Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly by giving fresh, lively and perfumed wines.

The wineries and castle of the  Loire valley propose you to discover this beautiful region by welcoming you at their domains to share their passion and taste their wines. Wine Tour Booking give you access to this wonderful places and allow you to book an exceptional moment by 3 clicks.