The Loire Valley is a key wine region in western France. It follows the course of the Loire River on its Long journey through the heart of France, from the inland hills of the Auvergne to the plains of the French Atlantic coast near Nantes (Muscadet country). Important in terms of quantity and quality, the region produces large quantities (about 4 million h/l each year) of everyday wines, as well as some of France's greatest wines. Diversity is another of the region's major assets; the styles of wine produced here range from the light, tangy Muscadet to the Sweet, honeyed Bonnezeaux, the Sparkling whites of Vouvray and the juicy, Tannic reds of Chinon and Saumur.
It's quite telling that this brief overview of the region's wines doesn't even mention the Loire Valley's two most famous wines - Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. White wines are clearly the strong point of the Loire Valley and represent the vast majority of production. A significant proportion of these are produced under PGI appellations, most commonly the IGP Loire (formerly Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France), which covers the whole region. The main white Grape varieties used for the production of white wines in the Loire Valley are Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and, more popular than the traditional, Chardonnay.
The dark days began when I learned from a visiting Canadian friend about the death of one of the kindest, most gentle and most skilful Pinot winemakers I’ve known, Paul Pender of Tawse Winery. He died in a senseless and tragic act of violence on the evening of 3 February, outside his Lake Erie cottage. A stranger, subsequently charged with his murder, had (it seems) knocked on his door, asking for help. Paul’s sudden, untimely loss has left his family, and the broader Canadian wine community, di ...
Théo and Paul Merlin are winegrowers at the Domaine Merlin, they emphasizes the characteristics of the appellation Mâcon La Roche Vineuse. This video is taken from the “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” program (March 2020). Our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BourgogneWines Twitter: https://twitter.com/BourgogneWines/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinsdebourgogne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bivb Find out more on our website: https://www.bourgogn ...
The Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainable viticulture. They converted their 100ha estate to organics as early as 1950; biodynamics in 1974. And when it comes to facing the climate crisis, they’re not standing still; refurbishing cellars, planting trees, championing ancient varieties and developing new techniques in the vineyard. Winemaker César Perrin explains… ‘The main reason we decided to construct a new ...