Wines of the Loire
Early this month, I had the opportunity to host a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and Making Strides Greenville. Playing to my strengths, I chose to work with the Wines of the Loire.
The Loire Valley, is traditionally divided into three pieces. The Pays Nantais at the coast around the city of Nantes, the middle Loire around the cities of Anger and Tours, which produce dry, sweet and sparkling expressions of red, white, and rose. Wine lovers are often attracted by "Anjou" - the name of the region's town Anger and associated with roses that fall under categories from the dry Rose d’Anjou to the sweet Cabernet d’Anjou.
The main white varieties used to whiten the Loire Valley are Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc and Melone de Bourgogne. Cabernet Franc has long been established as a signature grape of red wine in the Saumur-Champigny and Touraine regions. Major appellations to look for are Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny.
The Loire Valley comprises 87 appellations in the appellations d’origine controlee (AOC) system. The region's official AOC produce red wines such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernets Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Gamay. White wines are Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, and Sauvignon Blanc with the appellation of Pouilly sur Loire producing Chasselas.
Famous for Chenin Blanc, the valley also produces first-class Cabernet Franc and hosts one of the largest sparkling appellations in France. Sauvignon Blanc is the grape responsible for the popular and internationally celebrated Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume wines which are grown in the eastern portion of the Loire. In the west, around the city of Nantes, the grape Melon de Bourgogne produces the famous Muscadet which is usually aged sur lies and pairs beautifully with oysters.
With world-famous appellations such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Rhone Valley it is easy to forget the dozens of other tasty and beautiful wines in France. The Loire is dominated by five great grape varieties - Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, Cabernet Franc and Gamay - with wines that are much more accessible and pleasant. The Loire Valley is the largest wine-growing region of France by volume and the largest of the AOC-based white wines. White wines offer incredible concentration, consistency and quality.
The Loire has a significant influence on the mesoclimatic Anjou wine region by adding the necessary additional temperatures to allow the wine-growing regions north and south of the Loire Valley to show unfavourable viticulture. Prices remain reasonable for most of the Loire wines, and now is a great time to discover the crisp, grassy Sauvignon Blanc, the versatile Chenin Blanc with its style of fresh, fruity melons and the surprising riches and ripeness of the Loire Cabernet Franc. The best known wine region in the region is Sancerre, known for its benchmark Sauvignon Blanc, but also proximity to the Burgundy sub-region of Chablis and similarity of soil.
The wines of the Muscadet region, with the exception of Malvoisie (a sweet wine) and Pinot Gris, mature between 6 and 24 months in their yeast-sur-lie, giving them a rounder and smoother mouth feel.
