The Loire is the longest river in France, located in the north-western part and with an east to west flow. The fish and seafood from the Atlantic Ocean and the river and its tributaries contributed to the evolution of wine styles of the region. Still white wines dominate and sparkling wines, roses, and medium-light reds are also produced.

Grapes White

Chenin Blanc Also known as Pineau de la Loire is the most characteristic of all Loire
grapes and is native to the region. From chalky dry to luxuriously sweet.

Sauvignon Produces fresh-tasting wines often with a marked bouquet of asparagus,
fennel, grass, fruit and flowers.

Chardonnay The noble grape brought from Burgundy, here rarely fermented in
wood.

Pinot Gris Also called Malvoisie, Pinot Beurot, or Tokay d'Alsace, makes generally
robust, supple wines from dry to semi-sweet.

Pineau Menu Also called Menu Pineau or Arbois related to the Chenin Blanc, of
slightly lesser quality, more resistant to bad weather.

Muscadet Also called Melon de Bourgogne, a hardy, frost-resistant grape, the
basis of all Muscadets.

Gros Plant Also called Folle Blanche or Picpoul, productive, simple variety that
in Armagnac provides a thin wine for distilling.

Romorantin Planted only in Touraine.

Red Grapes

Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc From Beaujolais, common in the Loire.

Cabernet Franc Also called Breton, imported from Bordeaux, milder less distinguished
than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Groslot and Pineau d'Aunis are also planted for red wine production with very few ever making it to the U.S.

The magnificent Chateaux that are found in this region are of many architectural styles from several centuries. From the Renaisssance style of the 12th Century to the Classical style from the 17th and 18th Century a chateaux served purely peaceful purposes as a country residence. A medieval castle, however, was primarily a fortress and its architecture was therefore sober, even grim.

The Loire was an important trade route for goods and produce from central and western France to Paris. Today the river is barely navigable. The region is also well known for it's flowers and fruits as well as cuisine, from seafoods with beurre blanc sauce to the many kinds of goat's milk cheeses.

The Western Loire

This area called Nantes, is cool and perfect for the Muscadet grape which ripens early and is cool hardy. The Dutch helped this region greatly by changing the plantings from red to white grapes, so they could also distill the wine for brandy. The Muscadet de Sevre et Maine is the best district and is far superior to plain Muscadet. Sur lie is a special kind of Muscadet, here as the tradition says some of the best Muscadet was set aside and was allowed to remain on it's lie's, the cold of winter would make the wine clear and at Easter it was bottled retaining a small amount of carbon dioxide making the wine very fresh.

Central Loire

This region covers the area from Anjou and Saumur, to Touraine. As the popularity of rose and sweet wines has declined a shift in planting has moved to grapes for sparkling and dry white and red wines. Here the Chenin Blanc grape is at its best. Some very nice red wines also come out of Chinon and Bourgueil from the Cabernet Franc grape.

Upper Loire

Many people believe Sauvignon Blanc is the better wine for food than Chardonnay. Perhaps the higher acidity cleanses the palate. Sauvignon Blanc wines from the Loire are the benchmark style by which others are judged. Pouilly-Fume where the limestone soil adds to the flinty aroma, are fermented in stainless steel vats to retain freshness and extend life. Sancerre is a larger area with more variations in soil, some red wines from the Pinot Noir grape are also produced.