The "royal river" (Liger in Breton) covers 1,000 kilometres from the Massif Central in south-central France to the Atlantic estuary and gave its name to this huge wine-growing region. Like all bodies of water, it has a positive effect on viticulture or creates the conditions for it by forming valley slopes. The Loire rises south of Lyon, first flows northwards in an arc and then turns westwards at Orléans. It crosses twelve départements and takes in a total of ten tributaries. There is significant viticulture on both banks of the Loire along a stretch of around 400 kilometres, with the vineyards spread over many areas. UNESCO declared the "Val de Loire" (Loire Valley) a World Heritage Site in 2000.

History

Viticulture in the Loire was founded by the Romans. In the 11th century, the wines were popular in England and Holland and were imported in large quantities. In the 12th century, the Cistercians planted the famous Coulée-de-Serrant vineyard near Savennières. French kings and many aristocrats built magnificent hunting lodges and castles on the banks of the Loire. There are over 400 châteaux along the Loire and its tributaries. The most beautiful date from the Renaissance under King Francis I (1494-1547). He brought Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) to his court, who lived in Château Clos Lucé until his death. The canonised Joan of Arc (1412-1431) met King Charles VII (1403-1461) for the first time at Chinon to motivate him to fight against England.

Climate & Soil

The Loire region covers a very large area and therefore has very different climatic zones. These range from a distinctly Atlantic climate at the mouth of the Loire with mild winters and humid summers to a continental climate inland with cold winters and hot, dry summers. The soils are just as varied, ranging from granite, slate and volcanic soils in the west to limestone, tuff and marl in the centre and sand and gravel soils in the eastern areas. This combination of climate and soil results in a wide range of wine styles, but most of them are characterised by fresh acidity, fruitiness and delicate aromas, which is mainly due to the northern location in many of the numerous appellations.

Vineyards & grape varieties

The vineyards cover around 70,000 hectares of vines. The region is primarily a white wine region. The two main varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Pineau de la Loire (Chenin Blanc) produce dry to sweet wines. The sparkling wines are particularly famous, with the Saumur area developing into France's second sparkling wine centre after Champagne. The most important red wine varieties are Breton (Cabernet Franc), Gamay, Malbec (Cot) and Grolleau Noir. These are used to produce rosé wines, vins gris and fruity red wines.

Appellations

The large Loire region can be divided into four sections from west to east. In the west on the Atlantic coast on the lower course of the Loire lies the large area around the city of Nantes Pays Nantais with the Muscadet white wines produced according to the sur lie method. The second section is the Anjou-Saumur area with numerous enclaves. The third section is dominated by Touraine, which also has numerous island appellations. The fourth section in the historic province and former duchy of Berry in central France is clearly demarcated from the other three sections and is the most southerly. To the east lies the Burgundy and Beaujolais wine-growing region.

• Anjou, A. Coteaux de la Loire, Cabernet d'Anjou, A.-Villages, A.-Villages-Brissac
• Bonnezeaux
• Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
• Châteaumeillant
• Cher (IGP)
• Cheverny
• Chinon
• Comtés Rhodaniens (IGP)
• Coteaux d'Ancenis
• Coteaux de l'Aubance
• Coteaux du Giennois, Coteaux du Giennois Cosne-Sur-Loire
• Coteaux du Layon, Coteaux du Layon-Chaume, Coteaux du Layon-Villages
• Coteaux du Loir
• Côte Roannaise
• Côtes d'Auvergne
• Côtes du Forez
• Cour-Cheverny
• Crémant de Loire
• Fiefs Vendéens
• Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
• Haut-Poitou
• Jasnières
• Menetou-Salon
• Montlouis-sur-Loire
• Muscadet
• Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire
• Muscadet-Côtes de Grand Lieu
• Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine
• Orléans
• Orléans-Cléry
• Pays Nantais
• Pouilly-Fumé
• Pouilly-sur-Loire
• Quarts de Chaume
• Quincy
• Reuilly
• Rosé de Loire
• Saint-Pourçain
• Sancerre
• Saumur, Cabernet de Saumur, Coteaux de Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
• Savennières, Savennières Coulée-de-Serrant, Savennières Roche-aux-Moines
• Touraine, T. Amboise, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine-Mesland, T. Noble-Joué
• Val de Loire - formerly Jardin de la France (IGP)
• Valençay
• Vins du Thouarsais - formerly VDQS, integrated into AOC Anjou in 2011
• Vouvray

Map: By DalGobboM - Own work, GFDL, Link