Haute Loire is an unofficial name for the wine-producing communes of the Loire Valley located upstream (South and east) from Touraine. It includes two of the Loire's most famous appellations - Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume - along with a number of lesser known appellations such as Orléans, Valencay, Quincy and Côtes du Forez. The concept of a "Haute Loire" sub-region is necessary because the appellations that make it up are not grouped by an administrative or historical region; their main commonality is their proximity to the Loire River. Most other French wine regions correspond closely to an administrative region or department (e.
g. Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, Provence). There is indeed a department of the Loire, but it is hundreds of miles upstream from the heart of the Loire Vineyard. Ironically, it is home to two of the least known appellations in the Loire Valley: Côte Roannaise and Côtes du Forez.
Like nowhere else on the Loire, these two regions specialize in red and rosé wines made from Gamay. Their style of wine and their sandy, granitic soils mean that they have more in common with Beaujolais (just 50 km to the east) than with any other Loire appellation.
Romorantin is a white grape variety named after the town in the Loir-et-Cher region where it originated. It was François 1er who planted the first Romorantin vines here in 1519, and it has gradually been replaced by Sauvignon, considered more aromatic, and is only planted in the Loir-et-Cher region, where it is the source of the Cour-Cheverny AOC. Its bunches of small white berries, which turn pink when ripe, are resistant to grey rot. Cour-Cheverny wines are fruity white wines with aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit and honey. Their lively, full-bodied character means they can be enjoyed after a few years' storage.
white wines from the region of Haute Loire go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, shellfish or spicy food such as recipes of stuffed eggplant (with vegetables or mixed), chicken with scampi for christmas or samoussa 3 reunionese cheeses.
On the nose in the region of Haute Loire often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, lemon curd or green mango and sometimes also flavors of citrus zest, petroleum or green pear. In the mouth in the region of Haute Loire is a with a nice freshness.
It’s expected the Burgundy 2022 harvest will be bigger than the region’s five-year average, France’s agriculture ministry said this month, also noting the healthy state of vineyards in the area. Final figures on yields are not yet available, but suggestions the 2022 harvest could represent a rebound from the historically low 2021 crop could be welcome among wine lovers and producers alike. This week, it was also announced that the 162nd Hospices de Beaune auction, co-hosted by ...
Following popular demand we’ll be heading back to the Rhône in 2023 with our regional expert, Matt Walls. {"content":"PHA+TXVjaCBsaWtlIHRoaXMgeWVhciYjODIxNztzIHRyaXAsIHdlJiM4MjE3O2xsIGJlIHRha2luZyBEZWNhbnRlciByZWFkZXJzIGludG8gdGhlIGNlbGxhcnMgYW5kIHZpbmV5YXJkcyBvZiBzb21lIG9mIHRoZSBtb3N0IHByZXN0aWdpb3VzIGFuZCBleGNpdGluZyB3aW5lcmllcyBpbiB0aGUgcmVnaW9uLCBncmFudGluZyBhY2Nlc3MgeW91IHdvdWxkbiYjODIxNzt0IGVhc2lseSBnZXQgZWxzZXdoZXJlLjwvcD4KPHA+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0iYWQtY29udGFpbmVyIGFkLWNvb ...
The region’s trade share slumped to an historic low of 37.7% in 2021 after failing to keep pace with the broader market. It was the first time Bordeaux’s market share had ever fallen below 40%. At the time of writing, it has slipped to 32%, according to Liv-ex. The company divides its main index into a series of sub-indices. Over the past year, the Bordeaux sub-index increased by a modest 11.5%, compared to 43.8% for Burgundy and 51.2% for Champagne. The main challenger to Bordeaux’s throne is B ...
