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.
Originally from Bordeaux, Sauvignon, or Sauvignon Blanc, is reputed to be one of the best French grape varieties for white wine. It is a white grape variety, not to be confused with Sauvignon Gris and its pale yellow color, or with Cabernet Sauvignon which produces red wines. Particularly famous thanks to Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc is cultivated as far as New Zealand, where it produces great wines whose reputation is well established.
red wines from the region of Loire Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, game (deer, venison) or poultry such as recipes of sauté of veal with chorizo, duck with orange and honey or gratin of coquillettes with ham.
On the nose in the region of Loire Valley often reveals types of flavors of grapefruit, stone or green apple and sometimes also flavors of rhubarb, green herbs or mint. In the mouth in the region of Loire Valley is a with a nice freshness.
Whisky is emphatically a product of place. The flavours in the glass conjure images of the spirit’s origin, from an Islay malt’s distinctive peat smoke to the exotic perfume of a Japanese blend. Traditionally, however, that local accent is lost when spirit is filled into cask. The vast majority of Scotch malts and blends, for example, are matured in oak sourced from thousands of miles away, and previously used to age bourbon or Sherry. Some whiskies might venture into more exotic territory. Thin ...
Château Batailley 2021 was released en primeur this week at around €26.5 per bottle ex-Bordeaux, level with the debut price of the 2020-vintage release. Batailley 2021 was being offered by international merchants at £330 per 12 bottles in bond, said Liv-ex, which described it as ‘one of the best value [Batailley] wines on the market today’. Some analysts and merchants suggested the Pauillac estate had set a relatively positive tone for the Bordeaux en primeur campaign over the next f ...
More than 100 wines from 32 regions across 11 countries – including France – are set for release via the La Place in the coming weeks, Liv-ex said in a new report released today (24 August). September, in particular, has become a busy month for négociants, who have sought to expand their portfolios beyond Bordeaux. For wineries, the extensive La Place distribution network offers opportunities to reach new drinkers and enhance their international reputation – albeit opinions in the UK trade diffe ...
