Top 100 sparkling wines of Loire Valley - Page 3

Discover the top 100 best sparkling wines of Loire Valley as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the sparkling wines that are popular of Loire Valley and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Loire Valley

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.

Discover the grape variety: Chenin blanc

It most certainly originates from the Anjou region and is registered in the official catalogue of wine grape varieties on the A1 list. It can also be found in South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile, the United States (California), New Zealand, etc. It is said to be a descendant of Savagnin and to have sauvignonasse as its second parent (Jean-Michel Boursiquot 2019). On the other hand, Chenin blanc is the half-brother of verdelho and sauvignon blanc and is the father of colombard.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Loire Valley

sparkling wines from the region of Loire Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of beef tongue with vegetables, caramelized pork ribs or venison leg in casserole.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Loire Valley

On the nose in the region of Loire Valley often reveals types of flavors of non oak, apples or peach and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, almonds or raspberry. In the mouth in the region of Loire Valley is a powerful with a nice vivacity and a fine and pleasant bubble.