Wine Region - Loire Valley

Jonathan Howard

Wine Region Blog

Loire Valley

Loire Valley is one of the four major white wine producing regions in the eastern part of France.  The valley is divided into three sections: Upper Loire, Middle Loire, and Lower Loire.

 

From archaeological finds, Romans have been predicted to be the first to plant the earliest vineyards in the Loire Valley while creating the city of Gual. Four centuries later, the viticulture flourished and was even talked about by various people. In the 11^th century, Sancerre gained fame as being of very high caliber. By the middle ages, Loire Valley wines became the most esteemed in England and France and even surpassed wines from Bordeaux.

Loire valley is known to be a mostly white grape variety region.  The three major white grapes in this region named Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Chenin Blanc. The Upper Loire valley includes the Sauvignon Blanc areas containing Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. The Middle Loire is mostly comprised of the Chenin Blanc and Cabernet franc wines. The Lower Loire which is comprised of Melon de Bourgogne grape is known for making Muscadet.

Winemaking in France is regulated by the Appellation d’Origine Controlee. This AOC (abbreviation for Appellation d’Origine Controlee) established in the 1930’s, sets up strict government laws which winemakers must abide by.  These laws set minimum requirements for each wine producing area in France and help decipher French wine labels. Only thirty five percent of all French wines are worthy of the AOC designation and there are more than 465 AOC French wines. Examples of the controls are:

Geographic region: Chablis

Grape variety (which grapes can be planted where): Chardonnay

Minimum alcohol content (this varies depending upon the area where the grapes are grown): 10%

Vine growing practices (a vintner can produce only so much wine per acre): 40 hectoliters/hectare

Most of the wines in this region are not blends of different grape varieties. White or Red, they are mostly made entirely from Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc. One of the more popular wines, Pouilly-Fume, gets its nose from the Sauvignon Blanc grape and the soil of the Loire valley. Also, this valley stretches along the Loire River. In this region, Loire wines tend to be fruity, fresh, and crisp. There are four styles of wine in the Loire valley region. Pouilly-Fume is a dry wine that contains more body ad concentration than any of the other wines in this region. This style of wine is made with one hundred percent Sauvignon Blanc. Muscadet is a lighter, dry wine which is made from one hundred percent Melon de Bourgogne grapes. Sancerre has a balance between Pouilly-Fume (full bodied) and Muscadet (light bodied). This style is made with one hundred percent Sauvignon Blanc. Vouvray is a style that is dry, moderately sweet to really sweet and is made from one hundred percent Chenin Blanc.  

The Loire River has a major impact on the climate of the region by adding to the temperature allowing grapes to grow. The climate is mostly cool with a frost that occasionally pops around. Winemaking in this region is usually done avoiding maloactic fermentation and barrel aging. The Loire Valley is the largest region for white wines in France and is the second   region in France for producing sparkling wine. Not only famous for its wines, this valley is also a summer retreat for royalty.