LOIRE VALLEY

THE WINES OF LOIRE

The Loire Valley or Val de Loire is the biggest vineyard in France: a thousand kilometres around the Loire and its tributaries, which play a buffer role and promote microclimates in the vineyard. The wines of Loire are very diverse in styles and known to be very qualitative.

HISTORY OF LOIRE WINES

Vineyards of the Loire Valley's history dates back to the Roman era with the plantation of the Pays Nantais. The religious played a major role in the cultivation of the vine during the following centuries. It was in 1154 that Henri II Plantagenêt celebrated serving the Anjou wines at the court, thus recognising their taste qualities. Subsequently, the search for quality and wines adapted to the consumers of Loire wines allowed a considerable growth in the vineyards. In the 19th century, phylloxera destroyed a large part of the Loire vineyards, however this crisis led to a major increase in the quality of Loire wines and the birth of Appellations d’Origine in 1936 and a classification at the UNESCO in 2000.

STYLES OF LOIRE WINES AND THEIR MULTIPLE APPELLATIONS

The Val de Loire vineyard has 50 appellations on approximately 43,000 hectares which constitute a unique range of wines. The Loire vineyard is divided into four regions: the Pays Nantais, the Anjou/Saumur, the Touraine and the Loire Centre. The best known appellations are: Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, Bourgueil, Saumur, Anjou, Chinon, Coteaux du Layon, Muscadet, Montlouis sur Loire... The Loire rosés are particularly well known, just like the red wines fruity or to be kept and the whites dry, mellow or liquorose according to your desires. There are also fine-bubble Loire wines, made according to the traditional method.

VINEYARDS OF LOIRE AND ITS CEPAGES

The diversity of terroirs offers us wines with varied profiles, sometimes from the same grape varieties. The Loire wines share a personality marked by freshness, liveliness and elegance. The wines of Val de Loire come from a variety of varieties unique in the world: from Chenin to Cabernet, through Sauvignon and Grolleau... there are 24 grape varieties! The originality of Val de Loire wines stems from the fact that they come essentially from one and the same variety according to the regions of Loire, the Melon de Bourgogne in the Pays Nantais, Chenin and Cabernet in Anjou, Saumur and Touraine for example.