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Loire Valley Wines
The Loire Valley is famous for its white wines. None
of them use Chardonnay as a main grape variety.
Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon are widely used. About 75%
of the production is made of white wine.
Although Loire is a land of white wine, some red
wines are very interesting. They are fruity and
pleasant.
The Loire Valley is probably the most beautiful wine
region in France and in the world.
The Most Beautiful
Villages of the Loire
The most basic information on the wines of Loire
are:
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Location: |
From the Massif Central to the Atlantic coast
around Nantes. The Loire wine region follows
the Loire river in its valley
Loire region information |
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Size: |
n/a |
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Size of the vineyards: |
30,000 hectares |
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Grapes in Loire: |
Chenin Blanc
Sauvignon |
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Production: |
400 million bottles
Loire wine making |
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Type of Wine: |
Dry white wine
Sweet white wine
Semi-dry white wine
Sparkling white wine
Fruity red wine
Rosé wine |
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Loire Wine and food: |
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Geography of the Loire Valley:
The Valley of the
Loire,
in the Centre West of France, is often considered as
the most beautiful French wine region.
The region is wide and follow the river, starting in
the Auvergne and Massif Central and finishing in the
Atlantic coast around Nantes city.
The Loire River is wide and deep. The landscape is
quiet and undulated.
It is probably more accurate to say that the Loire
Valley is made of several different regions, which
have one thing in common: the river.
Loire Region Information:
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Location: |
From the Massif Central mountains to the
Atlantic coast and Nantes cities. The Loire
wine region follows the Loire river in its
valley and the rivers flowing into (Cher, Loir,
Layon, etc) |
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Size: |
n/a |
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Weather: |
Atlantic weather in the West (mild winter and
summer)
Continental in the East (cold winter, warm
summer) |
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Population: |
n/a |
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Main Cities: |
Nantes
Tours
Tours
Bourges |
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Places of Interest: |
Châteaux de la Loire (Chambord, Azay le
Rideau, Amboise, etc)
Loire Valley wine road (the most beautiful in
France !)
Angers (heritage city)
Atlantic Coast (salt production) |
History of wine in the Loire Valley:
Vines already existed when Romans invaded the
Loire Valley.
The legend says that Saint Martin was the first to
make wine in the Loire region. It was in 380.
The wine production then grew fast. In both river
banks, wine makers made white wine. On the hills,
they went for red wine.
Such as in
Burgundy, most of the vineyards belong to
monasteries and monks had developed the wine
production in the whole region.
Wine making in the Loire Valley:
The wines reflect the mood of the landscape. They
are soft, pleasant, charming and light. About
three-quart of the production are white wines.
The main grapes are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon for
white wine and Cabernet Franc for red wine.
Loire wine making information:
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Size
of the vineyards: |
30,000 hectares |
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Vineyards: |
n/a |
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Soil: |
Various: Clayey-limestone, limestone,
siliceous and chalky soils |
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Weather: |
Continental in the East of the Loire Valley
Oceanic in the West of the Valley |
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White Grapes
in Loire Valley: |
Chenin Blanc
Sauvignon
Melon |
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Red Grapes
in Loire Valley: |
Cabernet Franc
Gamay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir |
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Production: |
over 400 million bottles |
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Type of Wine: |
Dry white wine
Sweet white wine
Semi-dry white wine
Sparkling white wine
Fruity red wine
Rosé wine |
Wines of Loire and food:
Loire wines go very well with any dish
based on pork, from paté to roast, ham and chicken,
from fish to sea-food, from eel to trout. They are
just palatable with all the summer cooking.
Muscadet is excellent with oysters, the
Sancerre with goat-cheese.
Muscadet
Muscadet
is produced in 4 wine terroirs around the city of
Nantes. The Muscadet Sèvre et Maine is the most
important and the best of them.
In the Muscadet region, wine makers use to
leave the grape juice to rest during winter before
putting the wine in bottle.
Muscadet
is a dry white wine that is a fine companion to
shellfish.
The quality of Muscadet varies very much from
one winery to another.
Muscadet wine information:
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Name: |
Appellation Muscadet Controlée
Appellation Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Controlée
Appellation Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
Controlée
Appellation Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu
Controlée |
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Location: |
Around the city of Nantes, from Ancenis to the
Atlantic coast |
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Places: |
Vallet, La Haye Fouassière, Le Landreau,
Mouzillon, La Chapelle Heulin, Château
Thébaud, Maisdon sur Sèvre, Le Landreau, Saint
Philbert de Grand Lieu |
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Soil: |
Granite |
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Size: |
12,500 ha (30,900 acres) |
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Production: |
almost 100 million bottles |
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Grapes: |
Melon (or Muscadet) |
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Type of wines: |
Dry white wine
also sweet white wine |
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Age: |
Drink now and up to 2 years |
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Vintages:
(recommended) |
2003 |
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Aromas: |
White flowers
Anise
Citrus |
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Food: |
Oysters
Shellfish
Aperitif |
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Cheese: |
Nantais |
Anjou
Anjou
wines are made around the city of Angers. They were
very popular as soon as in the 6th century. During
the 13th and 14th centuries, Anjou was one of the
most popular wines in England. And then in Holland
and Belgium.
Nowadays Anjou is famous for the rosé d'Anjou.
Rosé makes about half of the production in Anjou.
However we should recommend the white wine from
Anjou. New techniques and aging in oak barrel have
improved the wine. Red wine from Anjou Villages
deserve as well a special note.
Anjou wine information:
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Name: |
Appellation Anjou Rouge Controlée
Appellation Anjou Gamay Controlée
Appellation Anjou Villages Controlée
Appellation Cabernet d'Anjou Controlée
Appellation Rosé d'Anjou Controlée
Appellation Anjou Blanc Controlée
Appellation Anjou Mousseux Controlée
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Location: |
Covers Maine et Loire department, west of
Touraine |
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Places: |
Beaulieu sur Layon, Thouarcé, Martigné Briand,
Saint Lambert du Lattay, La Pommeraye, Faye
d'Anjou, Rochefort sur Loire, Rablay sur
Layon, Brissac Quincé |
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Soil: |
Various |
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Size: |
9,000 ha (22,200 acres) |
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Production: |
55 million bottles |
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Grapes: |
Rosé and red:
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau
White:
Chenin blanc, Sauvignon, Chardonnay |
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Type of wines: |
Sweet rosé
Dry white wine
Light and medium body red wine |
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Age: |
Red: 2 to 6 years
White: 1 to 3 years
Rosé: now to 2 years |
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Vintages:
(recommended) |
2003, 1997 |
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Aromas: |
Red:
Black currant and black fruits
Red fruits
White:
White flowers
Apricot
Crystallized fruit |
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Food: |
Red:
Red meat
White:
Fish
Rosé:
Cold meat |
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Cheese: |
White:
Chabichou du Poitou
Red:
Camembert
Crottin de Chavignol |
Coteaux du Layon
Coteaux du Layon
is the widest wine area of the Anjou region. Along
the Layon river, the vines are protected by the
hills in this lovely contryside. Although wine
makers produce a good semi-dry white wine,
Coteaux du Layon is well known for the sweet
white wine and for at least 15 centuries! The most
reputed of all is the sweet wine coming from Chaume.
The vine growers leave the grapes in their vines
until they begin to over-ripe. They are then ready
to harvest. It means that harvest take place in
Coteaux du Layon later than other places in the
Loire valley.
Coteaux du Layon wine information:
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Name: |
Appellation Coteaux du Layon Controlée
Appellation Coteaux du Layon Villages
Controlée
Appellation Chaume Premier Cru Controlée
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Location: |
South of Angers city and West of Saumur, along
the Layon river |
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Places: |
Rochefort sur Loire, Saint Lambert du Lattay,
Beaulieu sur Layon, Saint Aubin de Luigné,
Faye d'Anjou Concourson sur Layon, etc
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Soil: |
Schist |
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Size: |
1,800 ha (4,450 acres) |
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Production: |
7 million bottles |
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Grapes: |
Chenin blanc |
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Type of wines: |
Sweet white wine
Semi-dry white wine |
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Age: |
10 to 20 years |
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Vintages:
(recommended) |
2003, 1997, 1995, 1990, 1989 |
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Aromas: |
Honey
Fig
Acacia |
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Food: |
Dessert wine |
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Cheese: |
Livarot
Maroilles
Pont l'Eveque |
Saumur
In Saumur, wine makers build caves in the
chalky soil so that wine can rest in stable
condition. If you visit the area, we recommend you
visit one of these caves (called "tuffeau" in french).
Wine makers produce red, dry white and sparkling
white and rosé wines.
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