The
Loire Valley wine region includes the
French wine regions situated along the
Loire River from the
Muscadet region near the city of
Nantes on the
Atlantic coast to the
region of
Sancerre and
Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of
Orléans in north central
France. In between are the regions of
Anjou,
Saumur,
Bourgueil,
Chinon, and
Vouvray. The
Loire Valley itself follows the river through the
Loire province to the river's origins in the
Cévennes but the majority of the wine production takes place in the regions noted above. The area includes 87
appellations under the
Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC),
Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure (VDQS) and
Vin de pays systems. While the majority of production is white wine from the
Chenin blanc,
Sauvignon blanc and
Melon de Bourgogne grapes, there are red wines made (especially around the
Chinon region) from
Cabernet franc. In addition to still wines,
rosé,
sparkling and
dessert wines are also produced. With
Crémant production throughout the Loire, it is the second largest sparkling wine producer in France after
Champagne. Among these different wine styles, Loire wines tend to exhibit characteristic
fruitiness with fresh, crisp flavors-especially in their youth. The Loire Valley has a long history of
winemaking dating back to the 1st century. In the
High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in
England and France, even more prized than those from
Bordeaux.