The Centre-Loire sub-region is located in the Loire Valley region, southeast of the Paris Basin. Its surface area is difficult to determine and the vineyards are made up of plots that vary in Size and are isolated, but also of plots of several hundred hectares. On a limestone base, the Centre-Loire has at least four types of soil: the terres blanches, Deep brown calcareous soils, which give the wines firmness, vivacity and fullness; the caillotes, Hard limestone soils, which give the wines pleasure, tenderness in their youth and a characteristic fruitiness; the grillotes, of friable limestone from which the wines take notes of candied fruits and honey; and the chailloux, siliceous with fine and coarse elements (clays, silts and sands, gravels, and pebbles), giving the wines firmness, persistent aromas, a Spicy nuance and a note of gunflint The caillotes and grillottes are shallow, stony soils, which Warm up quickly in the spring and have good rainwater Runoff, resulting in early ripening of the grapes for the production of fine, Soft, fruity wines. The semi-continental climate with microclimatic variations is ideal for the Sauvignon grape variety which gives white wines a rare harmony and perfection, and also ideal for the Pinot Noir which produces little known but no less surprising red wines.
The Centre-Loire region has nine appellations but is particularly well known for its AOC Sancerre, Quincy, Reuilly and Menetou-Salon. These appellations include those from the Auvergne vineyards (Saint-Pourçain, Côte-Roannaise and Côtes-du-Forez).
Melon de Bourgogne (or simply Melon) is a white grape variety originating, as its name indicates, from the Burgundy region. It is better known as Muscadet, the name of the wine it produces. It is the dominant grape variety in the Nantes region on the Brittany coast. Like any grape variety, it has its own characteristics. But its history is quite particular, because its predominance in the Nantes region is the result of a terrible winter.
wines from the region of Centre Loire go well with generally quite well with dishes of vegetarian, poultry or rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) such as recipes of tuna, pepper and tomato quiche, home-made coq au vin or sea bass in mustard and rosemary wrappers.
On the nose in the region of Centre Loire often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, citrus or apples and sometimes also flavors of green apple, minerality or pear. In the mouth in the region of Centre Loire is a with a nice freshness.
