| Wines of The Loire |
Undulating hills, grand châteaux, picturesque villages - the Loire is a French picture postcard region. Running through the middle is the River Loire, the longest river in France at around 1000km in length. It starts at Le Puy and meanders through vineyards practically all the way to the Bay of Biscay. Although all these areas share a climate that’s only slightly warmer than Champagne, the soil varies enormously from region to region and this is what helps determine the different styles of the various areas. Nantais This is the Westernmost part of the Loire, closest to the sea, and is a cool and wet district famous primarily for a white wine called Muscadet made from the Muscadet or Melon de Bourgogne grape . Now Muscadet can be a bland drink. Some may find it an easy drinking style but if you want something a little more gutsy then look out for Muscadet Sur Lie which means that it’s been left on its lees (i.e., the yeast cells left from fermentation) giving it a slightly nuttier feel. Where Muscadet comes into its own is with its partnership with seafood – lucky really as Nantais is famed for this cuisine. Nantes Nantes used to be part of Brittany. This changed in the 1790s and it is now the capital of the Pays de la Loire. Nantes is noted for its gothic Cathédrale St-Pierre which contains the tomb of François II, the last Duke of Brittany. You can also find here the Château des ducs de Bretagne which houses a naval museum depicting the slave trading of the 18th and 19th centuries. If you want to see some château from the river you can take a boat trip down the rivers Erdre and Sèvre. Anjou-Saumur This area is famous for making simple inexpensive rosés from a blend of local black grapes, what wine writer Matthew Jukes calls “the watered down cranberry juice of the wine world”. Its white wines are made from Chenin Blanc and these appear as Anjou Blanc which is often a medium dry wine. The area can also made some good sweet whites called AC Coteaux du Layon, and because of the region’s cooler climate these can be fresher and less oily (and cheaper) than wines from more Southerly regions like Sauternes. Finally, you can also find some sparkling whites, based once again on the Chenin Blanc. Although made in the same way as Champagne the Chenin Blanc in this wine means that although it is a bit gutsier it doesn’t age as well – early drinking recommended, although it can be a lot cheaper than champagne! There are a few red wines made here from the fruity Cabernet Franc grape, under the appellations Saumur Rouge and Saumur-Champigny. Capital of the Anjou region is Angers, home of the Plantagagenets. Its chateau was built by Louis IX. Nearby is the Cathédrale St Maurice famous for its stained glass windows, together with the Maison d’Adam and its carvings that represent the tree of life. Chateau d’Angers Mention Le Mans and everyone thinks of motor racing. The old town of Vieux Mans is a striking example of old France and it is now extensively used for filming. There are lots of tiny alleys, timber houses and little courtyards. A joy to explore and get lost in! Saumur This pretty town is recognisable by its famous stone walled château that almost everyone who has been to the area knows from postcards. The area outside Saumur is also known for its troglodyte houses dug into the soft limestone around Saumur and along the River Loire. Touraine This is a chalky area and like Anjou-Saumur, Chenin Blanc is the predonminant white grape, with its most famous exponent being Vouvray. Vouvray spans most styles – from dry to sweet to sparkling. There are also some grassy green Sauvignon Blancs, under the Sauvignon de Tourrain Appellation - cheaper than Sancerre but still with that Sancerre bite. Reds are once again blackberry rich Cabernet Franc based and found to the West of the region in Chinon, Saint-Nicholas-de-Bougueil and Bourgueil. You can find quite a bit of Gamay based wines too – but the quality is rarely as good as Cabernet Franc. This is Joan of Arc country and you should look out for the Chateau du Chinon where, in 1429, she persuaded the future Charles VII to give her an army to drive the English out of France. It is now an impressive set of ruins. In the town of Chinon itself you can find the Musée Animé du Vin where animated figures tell the story of wine making. In August the town of Chinon is given over to a medieval market with minstrels, strolling players, fire eaters and jugglers. If you’re a literature fan look out for the Maison Rabelais where the writer and scholar once lived. Châteaux worth a visit are the fairytale Château d’Ussé overlooking the river Indre, the Château de Langeais built primarily for defence and Château le Villandry, the last great renaissance château built in the Loire valley. Tours was built on the site of an old Roman town and enjoyed a stint as the French capital from the reign of Louis XI to Henri IV. It suffered greatly from bombing during the second world war but luckily the impressively gothic Cathédrale St-Gatien remains – a little crumbly, but still standing! Also look out for the Eglise St-Julien, a gothic monastery and chapterhouse that has a small wine museum. Vouvray Here you can find the Ecomusée du Pays de Vouvray which provides a wine tasting at the end. If you want to see traditional wine making methods, with wine fermenting in oak barrels visit local vineyard Huet. The TGV train tracks actually run in tunnels under the vineyard. Central Vineyards This is a chalky clay area where the Sauvignon Blanc grape can really come into its own. You’ll probably know this area as the home of Pouilly-Fumé Grassy, tangy, often full of citrus flavours these famous wines can often be matched by the lesser known Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly. Cabernet Franc takes a back seat here and Pinot Noir starts to take hold. Look out for Sancerre rosé as a better choice than the Anjou variety Once again Joan of Arc crops up in Orléans, as it was there that she saved France from the English in 1429. |
| Posted: 05/10/2009 15:20:58 Last Updated: 05/10/2009 15:30:32 |
Chick Lit > Gourmet Chicks :: Wines of The Loire