Loire-valley-wines
Experience Loire home page
Loire Valley wines
Wine events in and around Sancerre
Vitiloire,
Tours
celebrates wines of the Loire Valley May 30th and 31st
2015

Saturday from 10h to 19h - Sunday from 10h to 18h 
place de la Gare - Boulevard Heurteloup - Garden Prefecture
Vacation Rentals
C
hoose a village house to rent in the Loire Valley direct from the owners.
'Old Walnut Mill
'
Sleeps up to 4
Barrou
Great barn conversion in village of Barrou
'Le Bourg'
Sleeps up to 6
Barrou
'La Belle Vue'
Sleeps 2
Barrou
house to rent in Le Grand Pressigny
'
Les Balcons'
Sleeps up to 6
Le Grand Pressigny
one bedroom house in village of Barrou
'
La Charlerie
'
Sleeps 2
Barrou
Loire Valley wines
Loire Valley wine map
S
ee larger ma
p here
>
Within the Loire Valley, France's third largest wine producer, vineyards and wine making are rooted in the very heart of its culture and heritage. Its official wine route which is marketed under the umbrella of '
La route des vignobles' stretches a total of 800km from Nantes in the west to Sancerre in the east
The subtle yet very demanding culture that surrounds the art of wine production here, is grounded in a landscape that offers very little in the way of favours to the vintners.
Yet their success can be measured in the number of fine wines they produce, wines from
Bourgueil
, Chinon, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Saumur, Touraine & Vouvray to name but a few. There are a number of grape varieties used throughout the region which give rise to this vibrant diversity of wines.
Loire Valley grapes
Red

Cabernet Franc

This is the long established signature grape  for the red wines of Saumur and Touraine in the Loire Valley.The wines it produces, Chinon, Bourgueil, St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny are lighter than that of Bordeaux (where the grape probably originated) wines. This is due in part to the Loire Valley's cooler climate. These wines have gained a reputation for refreshing, youthful wines that should be drunk early. 

Gamay

The Gamay grape is the mainstay of rosé wines of the Loire Valley produced in Anjou and Saumur. It is also used sometimes in the blending of red wines of those areas. There are some wines in the region made entirely from this grape such as ‘Tourraine Gamay’.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Although a popular choice throughout the world of vintners this grape variety is not widely used in the Loire Valley. It is added to a number of reds to give them some 'body', plus it is used to produce some rosés.
Pinot Noir
This grape which gives us the popular reds of Burgandy also does well here in the Loire Valley in the light reds of Sancerre and Cheverny.
White

Chenin Blanc

Wines with this grape are probably the most synonymous with the Loire Valley. Its versatile properties mean that it is found in anything from the very dry to the sweetest of wines plus it is great for making sparkling wines.
Appellations where this can be found include Vouvray, Anjou, Chinon, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Saumur and Savennieres
.
Sauvignon Blanc
These grapes are
responsible for the popular and world famous Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume
wines,
classified as “Vins du Centre”
Muscadet
This grape is grown around the extreme western part of the Loire Valley, around Nantes, as it proved to be the best variety to cope with winter frosts the area is susceptible to. The wines from these grapes are marketed under the same name,
Chardonnay
In the Loire Valley Chardonnay grapes are used mainly as a blending grape adding richness to sparkling wines and they are sometimes used in Saumur and Anjou whites but only as a small percentage of the finished blend.
The area is also second only to Champagne in the production of sparkling wines in France but available at a fraction of the price..

Wine production here helps perpetuate a lifestyle that the region is happy to share with its tourists as well as trying to encourage a more global 'brand'.
A free map and guide are available from ' InterLoire ' (the official wine body for the region) to the vineyards of the Loire Valley - available to download in English here: map and guide.

This doesn't include some famous appellations which are very close to the river Loire such as Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Quincy – these are all classified as “Vins du Centre” ('Centre wines' on map) but it does cover the Loire Valley from the Atlantic to Orleans. Included are 69 separate appellations with the AOC* stamp of approval with more than 7,000 wine producers.
*AOC - 'appellation d'origine controlee'  which roughly translates as ‘areas of controlled origin’
Each year when the grapes are almost ripe and are about ready for harvesting you can enjoy a guided walk through a Loire Valley vineyards courtesy of http://www.vvr-valdeloire.fr/ which can be educational and fun.
External links:
vinsvaldeloire.fr/en
Official site on the wines of the Loire Valley (excluding 'Centre wines')
jimsloire.blogspot.com/
            Great blog on the Loire Valley and its wines.
richardkelley.co.uk
/
                     Merchant and writer's guide to Loire Valley wines
vins-centre-loire.com/
                  Wine events in and around Sancerre
thewinedetective.co.uk
 Freelance wine writer
www.thewinedoctor.com/               The 'winedoctor' will be featuring wines from the Central Vineyards during 2014
www.loirevalleywine.com/               Loire Valley marketing arm in USA
Video:
Wine Events
Vouvray wine fair
Vouvray Wine Fair (Foire aux vins)
Discover the wines of Vouvray presented by a variety of local winemakers in the heart of the troglodyte  caves ‘de la Bonne Dame’ a great experience – try not to be the nominated driver!.
Visitors can also enjoy gourmet specialties to accompany the wines.
Free entry. Tasting glass is € 3.00 on site.   10 am -7 pm
Location: Vouvray - Caves de la Bonne Dame
Official website
http://www.vins-vouvray.com/evenements-vouvray.php
Vitiloire,
Tours
celebrates wines of the Loire Valley May 28th and 29th 2016
Saturday from 10h to 19h - Sunday from 10h to 18h 
place de la Gare - Boulevard Heurteloup - Garden Prefecture
 
On the occasion of Vitiloire , Tours, in the heart of one of the great wine regions, welcomes nearly 150 winemakers for the weekend.
It's right in the city centre, on the Boulevard Heurteloup , Station Square and in the garden of the Prefecture, the public is invited to discover the diversity and richness of the Loire wines represented by 70 AOC. 
 
There is also a market and gourmet village  dedicated to the gastronomy of Touraine  where you can taste the famous goat’s cheese of Sainte-Maure, rillettes, Foie gras and even local beers.
Whether you are experts or amateurs, come and relax, share, discuss, enjoy our wines - Saturday, 28th and Sunday 29th May.
Check out our blog-post on last year's event here
Celebrating Champigny wines, the town of Saumur hosts two evenings where thousands gather to taste the great wines and produce of the area in a party atmosphere with live music.
http://www.saumur-champigny.com/grandes-tables
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"Author: Jim Craig"
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