Loire Valley

Wine region
Country	France
Sub-regions	Anjou,Nantes,Saumur,Touraine,Centre-Val de Loire
Size of planted vineyards	185,000 acres (750 km2)
Grapes produced	Chenin blanc,Sauvignon blanc,Cabernet franc,Melon de Bourgogne,Gamay,Pinot noir and more
Wine produced	Still,sparkling wine,dessert wine,rosé

TheLoire Valley wine region includes theFrench wineregions situated along the riverLoire from theMuscadet region near the city ofNantes on theAtlantic coast to theregion ofSancerre andPouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city ofOrléans in north centralFrance. In between are the regions ofAnjou wine,Saumur,Bourgueil,Chinon, andVouvray. TheLoire Valley itself follows the river through theLoire department to the river's origins in theCévennes but most of the wine production takes place in the regions noted above. The area includes 87appellations under theAppellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) andIndication Géographique Protégée (IGP) systems.

While the majority of production in the Loire Valley is white wine from theChenin blanc,Sauvignon blanc andMelon de Bourgogne grapes, there are red wines made (especially around theChinon region) fromCabernet franc. In addition to still wines,rosé,sparkling anddessert wines are also produced. WithCrémant production throughout the Loire, it is the second largest sparkling wine producer in France afterChampagne.^[1] Among these different wine styles, Loire wines tend to exhibit characteristicfruitiness with fresh, crisp flavors-especially in their youth.^[2] The Loire Valley has a long history ofwinemaking dating back to the 1st century. In theHigh Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines inEngland and France, even more prized than those fromBordeaux.^[3]

Archaeological evidence suggest that theRomans planted the first vineyards in the Loire Valley during their settlement ofGaul in the 1st century AD. By the 5th century, the flourishingviticulture of the area was noted in a publication by the poetSidonius Apollinaris. In his work theHistory of the Franks, BishopGregory of Tours wrote of the frequentplundering by theBretons of the area's wine stocks. By the 11th century the wines of Sancerre had a reputation across Europe for their high quality. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux.^[3]

The Loire river has a significant effect on themesoclimate of the region, adding the necessary extra fewdegrees of temperature that allows grapes to grow when the areas to the north and south of the Loire Valley have shown to be unfavorable to viticulture. In addition to finding vineyards along the Loire, several of the river'stributaries are also well planted-including the riversAllier,Cher,Indre,Loir,Sèvre Nantaise andVienne.^[2] The area has acontinental climate that is influenced heavily by the Loire and the Atlantic Ocean at the western edge of the region. The climate can be very cool with spring timefrost being a potential hazard for the vines. During theharvest months rain can cause the grapes to be harvested under ripe but can also aid in the development ofBotrytis cinerea for the region's dessert wines.^[3]

Temperature, rainfall and average sunshine time inAngers (Anjou):

With over 185,000 acres (750 km²) planted under vine, the Loire Valley is about two-thirds the size of theBordeaux wine region.^[4] Due to its location and marginal climate, the overall quality of avintage has a dramatic effect on the quality of the region's wines—more so than with other French wine regions. The most common hazard is that the cool climate will prevent the grapes fromripening fully and developing thesugars needed to balance the naturally highacidity of the grapes. During these cool vintages the Sauvignon blanc based wines are lighter in color, less fruity and have more pronouncedmineral notes. The Cabernet franc based wines are also lighter in color with more vegetal or "weed"-like aromas. In riper vintages, a Loire Cabernet franc will develop aromas ofraspberries andlead pencil shavings.^[2]

The Loire Valley has a highdensity of vine plantings with an average of 1,600-2,000 vines per acre (4,000-5,000 perhectare). Some Sancerre vineyards have as many as 10,000 plants per hectare. With more vines competing for the same limited resources in the soil, the density is designed to compensate for the excessiveyields that some of the grape varieties, like Chenin blanc, are prone to have. In recent times,pruning andcanopy management have started to limit yields more effectively.^[3]

Winemaking in the Loire is characterised by a general avoidance ofbarrel ageing andmalolactic fermentation. However some winemakers have begun experimenting with both.Chaptalization is permitted here and can help wine makers compensate for the under ripeness of the grapes in some years. For red wines there has been more emphasis on extending themaceration time of skin contact in order to bring out more color andtannins into the wine. Temperature control is also an important consideration with the cold autumn weather sometimes requiring that themust be heated in order to completefermentation fully.^[3]

The Loire Valley is often divided into three sections. TheUpper Loire includes the Sauvignon blanc dominated areas ofSancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. TheMiddle Loire is dominated by more Chenin blanc and Cabernet franc wines found in the regions aroundTouraine,Saumur,Chinon andVouvray. TheLower Loire that leads to the mouth of the river's entrance to the Atlantic goes through the Muscadet region which is dominated by wines of the Melon de Bourgogne grape.^[5] Spread out across the Loire Valley are 87 appellations under the AOC, VDQS and Vin de Pays systems. There are two generic designations that can be used across the whole of the Loire Valley. TheCrémant de Loire which refers to any sparkling wine made according to thetraditional method ofChampagne. TheVin de Pays du Jardin de la France refers to anyvarietally labeled wine, such asChardonnay, that is produced in the region outside of an AOC designation.^[2]

Sauvignon blanc andPinot noir are the principal grapes of this region that is centered around the appellation of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The two towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire (where Pouilly-Fumé is made) sit on opposite sides of the Loire river with Sancerre being about 10 miles (16 km) to the northwest of Pouilly. TheFumé is said to come from thesilexflint interspersed with the limestone in the area that can give a smoky gunflint note to the wine. Another possibility for the name is the early morningfog created by the Loire river that can blanket the vineyards. Wines labeled with just Pouilly orPouilly-sur-Loire are often made from theChasselas grape.^[6]

Unlike many areas of France, the Sancerre region is heavily mechanized with the use ofmechanical harvesting rather than hand pickers. One of the best known producers in the region isDidier Dageneau who, until his death in 2008,^[7] was an influential voice in the area advocating the reduction of yields and the use oforganic viticulture.^[5]Pouilly-Fumé only produces white wines while Sancerre produces red, white and rosé wines. The white Sauvignon blanc based wines from this region has characteristicgooseberry andgrapefruit flavors with the Pouilly-Fumé version typically being more full bodied and rich in texture. The red Pinot noir wines are very light in both body and color that are not very similar to other French expression of the grape like those inBurgundy. Smaller appellations in the region include-^[2]

• Menetou-Salon - White, red and rosé
• Quincy - White wine
• Reuilly - White, red and rosé

The region was under the influence of theDuchy of Burgundy for most of its history which partly the reason why plantings were once heavily dominated by the Pinot noir grape. ThePhylloxera epidemic of the 19th century altered that dynamic when many of the Pinot noir vineyards were wiped out by thelouse. In their place, plantings of the easier to cultivate Sauvignon blanc vine began to increase. While there are still isolated batches of Pinot noir in the region, Sauvignon blanc is now the most heavily planted.^[8]

The Anjou region of the Middle Loire is situated around the town ofAngers and is known primarily for the rosé wines based on the Grolleau and Cabernet franc, including theRosé d'Anjou and theCabernet d'Anjou. White wine made from the Chenin blanc is known asAnjou Blanc whileAnjou Rouge is often made fromGamay. Some of the higher quality wines are often labeled with the AOC designationAnjou-Villages.^[5] The Chenin blanc grape has been planted in the region since at least 845 AD when it was planted at theAbbey of Glanfeuil. Throughout the years it was known in the region under a variety ofsynonyms includingPineau de la Loire andFranc-blanc.^[9]

The area around Saumur is the third largest sparkling wine appellation in France after the Champagne region and theCrémant d'Alsace AOC with more than 12 million bottles of SaumurMousseux produced each year. Unlike Champagne which is made with Chardonnay, Pinot noir andPinot Meunier, Saumur sparkling wine is based on the Chenin blanc grape. The area aroundSaumur-Champigny produces red wine based on the Cabernet franc grape that is similar in profile to the wines produced in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil.^[2]

The region around Vouvray,Montlouis-sur-Loire and Touraine has some of the most diverse plantings of all the Loire region and makes a wide variety of white, red and rosé wines. For white wines the main grape is Chenin blanc but Sauvignon blanc and (to a smaller extent) Chardonnay are also planted. For red wines the main grape is Cabernet franc with some smaller plantings ofCabernet Sauvignon, Gamay andMalbec. The rosé wines are made from an assortment of Gamay,Pineau d'aunis,Pinot gris andPinot noir. The villages of Vouvray and Montlouis are the largest appellations in the region and make only white wines from Chenin blanc. The wines can vary insweetness from bone dry (often appearing assec on thewine label) to very sweetmoelleux wines that are often infected bynoble rot.^[2]

For years the Touraine region would compete with theBeaujolais region for the release of an early bottling of Gamay that would rival theBeaujolais nouveau. While the competition is not so much of a focal point now, there are still some producers who release early bottlings of the wine around the same time as Beaujolais. The soil around the Touraine area is a variety oflimestone with excellent drainage that is known astuffeau which is the same material used to build many of the famous Loire ValleyChâteaux.^[5]

The area around Chinon,Bourgueil andSaint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil produces the majority of the Loire Valley's red wine based on the Cabernet franc grape—known in this areas asBreton. The wines of the Chinon area are the softest and rich expression of the grape while the Bourgueil area produces more tannic and firm wines. The St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil area produces the lightest colored wines.^[2] In the 19th century, the wines of the Chinon area were compared favorably by critics to the wines ofChâteau Margaux and even today is considered some of the best expression of the Cabernet franc grape. The wines from this region can achieve a nice purple color with notes of raspberry fruit andgraphite. Unlike Cabernet franc from warmer climates, Chinon are typicallyserved slightly cooler than most red wine.^[10]

The Muscadet region is located at the westernmost edge of the Loire Valley near the city ofNantes. In the 17th century,Dutch wine merchants laid the foundation for the Muscadet style by encouraging the villagers of Nantes to plant the early ripeningMelon de Bourgogne grape to use in the production of theirbrandewijn—distilled wine withbrandy added to it.^[4] Following the devastation in 1709 of winter frost to many of the vineyards in theLoire-Atlantique, KingLouis XIV ordered that the frost resistant Melon de Bourgogne grape be given preferential treatment in the replanting of the area. Despite the inference of "Muskiness" in its name, Muscadet is a neutral flavor wine and the Melon de Bourgogne grape has no relation to theMuscat family of grapes.^[11] The area's four appellation all produces white wine made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape.^[5] The appellations are-

• Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine
• Muscadet-Côtes de Grand Lieu
• Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire
• Muscadet- A generic appellation covering the whole of the Loire-Atlantique department.

The wines of the Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine and Muscadet-Côtes de Grand Lieu appellation are often bottledsur lie straight from the tank that they are fermented in without any racking orfiltering. This create wines that can be very cloudy and requiredecanting to remove sediments but also produces wines that can be fuller bodied and show extra dimensions of freshness.^[2]

South of Nantes in the Vendée is the small (330ha) appellation of Fiefs-vendéens. It was created as an appellation in 2011, after having been a VDQS since 1963. It comprises the five ''dénominations'' of Brem, Chantonnay, Mareuil, Pissotte and Vix.

The white wines of theCoteaux du Layon, Montlouis-sur-Loire,Savennières, and Vouvray are based on Chenin blanc and are known for their high acidity when young and ability to develop and age well. The villages of Sancerre andPouilly-sur-Loire are known for their crisp and herbaceous Sauvignon blancs. Some producers in the area are experimenting withoak aging their Sauvignon blanc to give them more rounder and softer appeal. The villages of Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur are known for their Cabernet franc based wines that range from light and fruity in Saumur to rich and velvety in Chinon. The Muscadet wines from thePays de la Loire are made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape and are known for their citrus and mineral notes.^[2]

In addition to the main production grapes, several local grapes are also used to make wine in smaller quantities. These include theTressallier grape ofSaint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, theRomorantin ofCheverny, theMenu pineau andGroslot of Touraine and theGros Plant of Nantes. There is also some plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay, Malbec, Pineau d'aunis, and Pinot gris, Pinot noir.^[2]

A characteristic of many Loire wines (both red and white) is the high acidity which highlights the fresh, crisp flavors of their youth only to go through a "dumb phase" between 2 and 5 years of age when the wines flavors are drastically toned down. Many of the better made examples come out of this period with their full palate of flavors and can continue to age well into 20 years. Some of the Sauvignon blanc based wines like Sancerre buck this trend and instead stay more low key till their third year when they mature and develop their full assortment of flavors before they eventually fade around their 7-10th year. However the best made examples in top vintages can often live much longer.^[2] Some classic examples of Vouvray can even reach the levels of longevity commonly associated withPort.^[12]

Historically the wineries of the Loire Valley have been small, family owned operations that do a lot of estate bottling. The mid-1990s saw an increase in the number ofnégociant andco-operative to where now about half of Sancerre and almost 80% of Muscadet is bottled by a négociant or co-op.^[4]

• Official Site of Loire Valley wines
• Map of the Loire Valley wine regions
• Loire Valley vintage charts
• The wines of the Loire - The official website of France (in English)

• Loire Valley
• Wine regions of France

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata