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 11th
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.
