Wine region
Loire
The garden of France: Muscadet, Sancerre, Vouvray and Chinon, Chenin, Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on over 50,000 hectares along France’s longest river.
- Vineyard area
- over 50,000 hectares along France’s longest river, about 1,000 kilometres long
- Sub-regions
- Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, Centre (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé)
- Main grapes
- White: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne; red: Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir
- Climate
- cool: Atlantic in the west, more continental upstream; limestone, flint and schist
- Signature wines
- Muscadet, Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Vouvray, Savennières, Chinon, Crémant de Loire
- Landmark
- the Loire valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000
At about 1,000 kilometres, the Loire is France’s longest river, and its vines accompany it from the Atlantic coast near Nantes deep into the interior. More than 50,000 hectares are spread over four zones: the Pays Nantais at the mouth, Anjou and Saumur, Touraine, and the Centre with Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Almost every style occurs: dry, sweet, sparkling, white, red and rosé. The climate is cool, tempered by the Atlantic in the west and more continental upstream; the wines therefore live on freshness and acidity, and vintages differ noticeably. The valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, with its châteaux, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000.
At the mouth, Melon de Bourgogne is the only grape of Muscadet: a dry, taut, saline white, often aged “sur lie” on its lees. In the heart of the valley Chenin Blanc rules, one of the most versatile grapes in France: dry, off-dry, sweet or sparkling, in Vouvray, Montlouis, Savennières, which covers only about 165 hectares, and on the slopes of the Layon. In the east, in the Centre, it is Sauvignon Blanc: Sancerre and, across the river, Pouilly-Fumé give lively whites on limestone and flint, with gooseberry, citrus and a smoky note. Sancerre covers about 3,000 hectares, Pouilly-Fumé about 1,400.
The reds come mainly from Cabernet Franc: Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny make fragrant wines, with raspberry, herbs and fresh tannins, which are best drunk young and lightly chilled. Pinot Noir also grows in Sancerre, Gamay in Touraine, and several varieties go into Crémant de Loire, a traditional-method sparkling wine that alone covers about 3,500 hectares. In good autumns noble rot comes to the Layon and yields sweet Chenin wines such as Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume, the last on only a few dozen hectares.
A glance at Switzerland: at Pouilly-sur-Loire, the village of Pouilly-Fumé, there is also a small appellation for Chasselas, the grape of Vaud; only about 25 hectares remain. The Loire’s appellation names are many, but they mostly tell you the grape: Muscadet is Melon, Pouilly-Fumé is Sauvignon, Vouvray is Chenin, Chinon is Cabernet Franc.
At the table: Muscadet with oysters, shellfish and fish, Sancerre with fresh goat’s cheese such as crottin de Chavignol, dry Vouvray with fish in cream sauce and poultry, Chinon with rillettes, charcuterie and grilled meat, the sweet Chenin wines of the Layon with blue cheese or a fruit tart.