Val de Loire is a regional PGI title, covering wines produced in an area that roughly corresponds to the Val de Loire wine region in northern France. The PGI catchment area covers 14 departments and is one of the largest in France in terms of area. The Terroir is extremely varied throughout the Loire Valley region. Wines produced under the PGI title have as much style as the AOC appellations of the Loire.
Loire Valley PGI wines have a familiar range of Grape varieties to draw from - the classic Loire varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne are often used, as are Gamay and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are also present in the vineyards, but in smaller quantities. The majority of wines produced under the PGI are made from a single grape variety. The geographical area of the PGI follows the Loire River for about 550 kilometers (350 miles).
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
wines from the region of Val de Loire go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of stuffed round zucchini, pasta with tuna and tomato or quiche lorraine.
On the nose in the region of Val de Loire often reveals types of flavors of earth, citrus fruit or citrus and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, red fruit.
Taking place on the 1st December at Christie’s London headquarters, the auction was made up of 87 lots which opened the Finest and Rarest Wines & Spirits auction. Bidding took place in the spectacular auction room where a selection of DWWA award winners was also available to taste before and throughout the auction. The DWWA auction attracted buyers from all over the world, across four continents. The rise and rise of Burgundy As noted by Christie’s wine specialist and auctioneer Charlie Fole ...
While taller overall vines do exist in regions such as Galicia with their pergola training method, the roots of any vine usually top out at 37cm. It’s at this top point where the Vitis vinifera shoot is grafted in and continues to grow, giving us such grapes as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. This is opposed to the rootstocks which are composed of various crosses of vines such as Vitis rupestris which aren’t used for wine production but are resistant to the root louse, phylloxera. This new tal ...
An indispensable guide to the best wine shops, online retail, wine specialists and wine support services in the UK, the Decanter Retailer Awards 2022 Shortlist has been revealed. A highly competitive year, with entries epitomising the exceptional choice consumers have when it comes to buying wine in the UK, the 2022 edition of the Decanter Retailer Awards saw the judging panel grow with six independent experts reviewing entries. The judging process is never easy, and in many cases, commented cha ...
