Loire

Introduction to Loire

"The Loire valley is perhaps France's most overlooked wine producing region. It is an extremely large and diverse area with 87 appellations. It is the largest white wine region in France and the second largest region for sparkling wine. The climate is cool, producing delicate, crisp wines, often with high acidity. Its expansiveness and diversity result in a variety of different wine styles, from the crisp, mineral Sancerres and Muscadets to the powerful, red Chinons and the sweet Coteaux du Layon wines, all of which deserve more attention than they currently receive in the international wine market. The Southern French winemaking regions stretch right across the Southern coast of France. Provence is perhaps the warmest wine region in France and produces mainly rosé and red wine. Provence wine has often been compared with the wines of Southern Rhône, as they share both grapes and, to some degree, style and climate. The Languedoc region is primarily red wine territory, although some rosé is produced, as well as increasing amounts of attractive whites. The area was transformed by the Vin de Pays classification of 1979, permitting the cultivation of new grape varieties and the opportunity to rival the New World crusaders with varietal labelling."

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