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The Loire

Introduction
History
Loire styles
Grape varieties
Made for aging
Appellations and producers
Regional Best

Choose Sub-Region:   Select Option Anjou and the Layon valley Bourgueil, Chinon and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Muscadet Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume and the vineyards of the Center Saumur and Saumur-Champigny Vouvray, Montlouis and Touraine

Introduction

The French have a saying: "The Loire is a queen and the kings of France have loved her." It's an accurate--if probably politically incorrect--description of the intimate relationship that France has with its longest and arguably most beautiful river.

For 620 miles (1,000 km), from the mountains of the Massif Central to the Atlantic Ocean, the Loire flows past some of the most stupendous and most characteristic French landscape. Once a major transport artery for French agricultural and industrial products, today it is quiet and peaceful, the last natural, undammed great river of Europe. Many French people feel a strong affinity for the Loire. The language spoken in the regions of Anjou and Touraine, through which the river flows, is regarded as the purest, clearest form of French. The great cities of Orleans, Tours, Nantes and Angers are some of the most historic in the country, and they, and their castles, the grand chateaux for which the Loire Valley is most famous, are a reminder of the country's glorious past.

The River Loire also provides a mild mesoclimate for wine production. While the country to the north and south is too inhospitable for the vine, the Loire Valley and the valleys of the river's main tributaries are just those few vital degrees warmer in summer and winter, allowing grapes to flourish. There are few hills in the region, so moist, warm air from the Atlantic Ocean can spread far up into the interior, moderating the climate, which is often described locally as doux (soft) or humide (damp). It is this special and privileged mesoclimate that is also responsible for the milky blue light that has made the Loire region such an inspiration for generations of painters and travelers alike.

From "Encyclopedia of Wine"
©Global Book Publishing Pty Limited 2000