Loire Valley Wine Region Guide

Geography and terroir

The Loire vineyards extend across western and central France, from the Atlantic coast near Nantes to the Centre-Loire vineyards around Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire. Four subregions divide the area under vine in the Loire Valley: the Lower Loire, a maritime region; the Middle Loire; the Central Loire, which flanks Burgundy; and the Upper Loire. Therefore, one encounters significant variations in climate, soil, and tradition; a tidy summation of local winegrowing conditions is simply impossible.

Lower Loire

Our journey down the Loire begins with the Pays Nantais, southwest of Nantes (well worth a visit in its own right). Muscadet, an extremely dry and steely wine, is the region’s primary wine, particularly favored for pairing with shellfish. The most important appellation is arguably Muscadet Sèvre et Maine. Many wines are matured sur lie—in contact with the fine sediment left after fermentation—to add texture and complexity.

Further east, stretching towards the south of Anjou and Saumur, is the heart of the IGP Val de Loire; increasingly good-value whites are appearing here.

Middle Loire

The Anjou appellation is one of the valley’s most important producers, encompassing red, rosé, and white wines. It covers a vast area north and south of the River Loire, from the west of Angers east to beyond Saumur. The quality is generally high, with some stylish, oak-fermented whites from the region’s major white variety, Chenin Blanc.

Reds tend to be light, ripe, and juicy, with more full-bodied examples from Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The best red has its own AC, Anjou-Villages, and some excellent wines are being made from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The most excellent wines here are the intense dry whites of Savennières and the dessert wines of Coteaux du Layon. These sweet wines are relatively restrained and age-worthy, with a beautiful honeyed richness. A small amount of fine sweet Chenin Blanc is also made at Saumur and labeled Coteaux de Saumur.

The vineyards of Saumur are also a haven for sparkling wine production. As well as sparkling Saumur, there is the catch-all appellation of Crémant de Loire, and there are a few offshoots of the big Champagne houses in the region. Quality can be outstanding, and the wines are not expensive. The wines are more green-apple in character than rich and biscuity, in the Champagne style. Saumur produces increasingly ambitious still Chenin Blanc, ranging from fresh, unoaked styles to more structured, barrel-fermented examples. Chinon is best known for Cabernet Franc, which produces fragrant, refreshing reds as well as more structured, age-worthy wines. A limited proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon is also permitted.

Central Loire

Moving east along the river, we arrive at Touraine. Like Anjou, there is a catch-all Touraine AC. Sauvignon Blanc is a principal grape; think crisp, refreshing gooseberry-flavored whites. In the far west of the region are the red wine appellations of Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, north of the river Loire, and Chinon just to the south.

The best are delicious, soft reds offering excellent value. Finally, just to the east of the city of Tours are the vineyards of Vouvray and Montlouis. Vouvray lies on the northern bank of the Loire, while Montlouis-sur-Loire lies between the Loire and the Cher. Some fantastic dry and sweet wines are made here; the latter can be some of the world’s greatest and longest-lived sweet wines. Green and minerally in their youth, they become increasingly rich and honeyed with age—sheer elegance in a glass.

Several lesser-known Touraine appellations are nonetheless worth a look. To the west of Tours is Touraine Azay-Le-Rideau, and to the east of Vouvray and Montlouis are Touraine-Amboise and Touraine-Mesland. Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon feature for the reds, and Chenin Blanc for the whites. To the south of Blois are the regions of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny. To the north of Tours, we come across the Coteaux du Loir region and its Jasnières sub-region.

Upper Loire

Further east, we arrive at the heartland of Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire. The star appellations are Quincy, Reuilly, Menetou-Salon, Sancerre, and last but not least, Pouilly-Fumé.

The Loire established its pungent, crisp, and refreshing expression of Sauvignon Blanc centuries before the variety achieved global popularity. Good Pinot Noir is also made at Sancerre and, to a lesser extent, at Menetou-Salon. Unlike Burgundy, the wines are usually extremely light and refreshing and can be enjoyed even without food.

Winemaking and regional classifications

Again, generalizations are simply impossible. The region boasts over 85 separate wine designations, producing a broad palate of styles, including fragrant Gamay, zesty Sauvignon Blanc, and fruity sparkling wine – delicious but nothing like Champagne. Yet one does detect some unifying characteristics among this broad spectrum of categories when tasting from west to east.

Over 50 percent of the Loire’s annual production is dedicated to white grapes, most commonly Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. Single-varietal expressions are all the rage here, as assemblage (blending) is not a major part of local wine culture. The exceptions are Crémant de Loire and sparkling Saumur and Anjou; growers often blend 2-3 varieties to enhance complexity.

Modernizing Winemaking

Winemaking in the Loire has also changed out of all recognition in the 21st century. Anjou-Saumur is a classic example: the making of Chenin Blanc used to be exceedingly simple; many would say rustic. In the 1980s, wine producers mechanically harvested berries and then crushed and pressed them, typically using a wooden basket press.

Following this, they clarified the juice in ancient wooden vats without any temperature control, eschewing the use of oak, sophisticated laboratory equipment, or delicate protective handling. The results in bottle were rarely memorable: hard, acidic wines that lacked grace and charm. Thankfully, the advent of protective handling, fermentation in stainless steel, and temperature control has revolutionized quality across the board, as producers now compete with their counterparts in the New World.

The most venerable Chenin Blanc wines, made at Nicolas Joly’s Coulée de Serrant, are concentrated, textural, and distinctive. The finest examples offer remarkable complexity, depth, and individuality; however, most growers now favor primary fruit over oxidative funk. This is what the market demands.

The lowdown

Extolling the virtues of the Loire Valley to skeptical oenophiles is not always easy. It offers neither the prestige of Bordeaux nor the terroir-driven allure of the Côte d’Or; there is no established culture of vineyard classification here. But most importantly, the Loire does not provide a roll call of blue-chip wines and collectible labels.

Although the Loire has several highly sought-after producers and vineyards, it lacks the concentration of globally recognized collectible labels associated with Bordeaux and Burgundy. The grim fact is that individual brands with AAA ratings generate overarching prestige (ask Pomerol) – traded rather than actually enjoyed. For that reason, many wine lovers tend to marginalize the Loire Valley and leap headfirst into Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne.

Diverse and Underrated

Yet this is a grave mistake. For one thing, the diversity of wine styles available alongside this famous river has no parallel in Europe: exceptional sparkling wine, lovely, unflashy reds, moreish Chenin Blanc, late-harvest dessert wines, and minerally Sauvignon Blanc that bear no relation to the hyper-pungent Kiwi paradigm. That said, individuals mean as much as appellations in the Loire Valley, often more. Producer quality matters greatly in the Loire, and a talented grower working in a lesser-known appellation can outperform less accomplished examples from more prestigious areas.

Revolution in Quality

However, due to improvements in viticulture and winemaking, the number of lackluster whites and reds has declined significantly over the past decade. The net result is that the quality and consistency have improved markedly across the Loire, particularly among the Chenin Blanc wines of Anjou and Saumur. The moan 15 years ago was that wine was becoming terminally globalized and homogenized: Merlot this and Chardonnay that.

But what is the same about Loire Chenin, available in various guises and made by some brilliantly talented younger winemakers? The answer is nothing at all. Of course, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé remain consumer favorites; however, Chenin should be on your list if you want stupendous quality at fair prices.

Discovering Loire Chenin

Yes, indeed – the grape is absolutely wonderful and sorely underrated. Loire Chenin has carved out its style among Chenins: apple and stone fruit, great minerality, and total purity. It ages well, develops more honeyed flavors in bottle, and always refreshes the palate with the welcome acidity. That piercing fruit that precision reaches an apogee in the skeletal vineyards of Savennières. For its quality and aging potential, top Loire Chenin Blanc can still offer exceptional value.

Loire Valley gastronomy

The wines of the Loire are perfect for those long summer nights and warm evenings. But the region can also provide a memorable food pairing: Nantes and Tours dazzle visitors with their impressive architecture and abundant good restaurants, bistros, and bars.

The region has contributed several celebrated dishes and culinary traditions to French cuisine; beurre blanc is associated with the Nantes area, while Tarte Tatin originated at Lamotte-Beuvron in the historic province of Orléanais. Indeed, over 85 separate wine designations translate into a bottle for every context, palate, and occasion.

A Guide to the Gastronomy of the Loire Valley: Read more