Wine in Loire valley

The banks of the Loire, by the way the longest river of France, are not only worth to be visited for the famous royal chateaux but also for its vineyards which produce a wide variety of great wines.

The Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre vineyards at the eastern edge of the Loire Valley surround charming hilltop villages with alleylike streets, small squares, and charming chateaux. They are renowned for white wines from Sauvignon Blanc and Chasselas grapes. A small quantity of red and rosé wines come from the Cabernet Franc variety.

Touraine, the area around Tours, boasts the grandest of the grands châteaux, among them Amboise, Chambord, Chenonceau, and Blois. And from here comes a bounty of grand wines as well. The most celebrated is Vouvray, a white which can be either dry, sweet, or sparkling, and comes from the Chenin grape. Sweet Vouvray can age for many years. But it is the distinctive dry whites made from Sauvignon and a red from Gamay that predominate. The best reds of the Loire Valley come from Chinon and Bourguell, made from Cabernet Franc.

The town of Angers and its splendid medieval castle stand guard over the Saumur and Anjou districts. Saumur is best known for white wines, sparkling and still, from Chenin Blanc grapes blended with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The rosé of Anjou, the best made from Cabernet Franc alone, has been prized since the Middle Ages.

The Pays Nantals vineyards surrounding Nantes, where the Loire flows into the Atlantic, are the birthplace of Muscadet white wine made from Melon de Bourgogne grapes. Sur-lie on the label means the wine has added character from remaining with its sediment before being bottled.