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.
Ribs have travelled a long way! In the Middle Ages it was indeed cultivated in the Yonne region. In Bordeaux, it was used in the production of vins clairets and was present in the Loire Valley where today it is only used in the AOC Touraine and Rosé d'Anjou. It goes by different names: Malbec in Bordeaux or Auxerrois in Cahors, in the Quercy vineyards, where it flourishes.it is a very old red grape variety with medium-sized bunches and berries with melting, juicy and sweet flesh. Very sensitive to frost, disease and temperature changes, it is very productive if preserved and if it reaches a good maturity.côt is used in the vineyards of several major appellations such as the AOC Médoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Bergerac, Pécharmant, Buzet, Malepère, Marcillac... Wines made from this grape variety are fruity, tannic, deep in colour and have good ageing potential Cultivated on a surface of 5.000 hectares in France, the côt is also very present in Argentina and Chile.
pink wines from the region of Loire Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or mature and hard cheese such as recipes of salmon steaks with lentils, cuttlefish with cider or chicken puff pastry.
On the nose in the region of Loire Valley often reveals types of flavors of raspberry, citrus fruit or red fruit and sometimes also flavors of strawberries, earth or spices. In the mouth in the region of Loire Valley is a with a nice freshness.
