world reviewer
Famous for it’s glorious chateaux and churches, charming villages, cuisine and scenery, the Loire also has a long tradition of producing excellent wines. Beginning at the Massif Central Mountains and running along on either side of the Loire River as it meanders across France and empties into the Atlantic, wine grapes have been cultivated here since around 400AD. At the northern edge of suitable wine growing country, the Loire’s summers are mild rather than hot and each year the concern is that the grapes won’t ripen enough, but this slow ripening adds to the crispness of the flavours commonly tasted in Loire Valley wines.
The main problem with touring wineries in the Loire Valley is it’s size, there are more than 70 different sub-regions or appellations producing a huge variety of wine from red to white, still to sparkling and dry to sweet. As a rule the best places for vineyards are on the south facing slopes common on the Loire’s left bank. The best Musadets are found around Nantes and the western Loire, the best Sauvignon Blanc grapes for the Pouilly Fumes and Sancerres on the eastern side, and Anjours and Saumurs near their namesake towns. What most Loire wines do share is a fresh flavour which suits drinking rather than keeping.
A good way to experience a large portion of what the Loire has to offer is to travel between Angers and Sancerre. By taking the smaller back roads you get the best of the countryside and don’t miss out on any of the important vineyards. There are a range of ways to see the Loire, by bicycle, hot air balloon, boat or by walking. Either way be prepared to get off the tourist routes to drink and eat the most interesting local flavours.
Written by 
Kat Mackintosh.
“Excerpt from 'Days of Wine and Poses'”
By Kate Mikhail for The Observer First published April 23, 2000 ...The British have a bad name when it comes to wine tasting, or at least they used to have. After downing the free wines on offer, they would buy one bottle and walk, earning them the sha… Read more...
Written by press. Full Article from The Guardian
Comments, reviews and questions
La Grande Maison, Best Loire B & B with Wine Tours
We spent three nights with Sue and Micaela in their fascinating B & B, an historic wine manager's house with caves, near Saumur in the Loire Valley. Both hostesses are wine experts and enjoy driving their comfortable van with guests to visit local wineries and vineyards for private tours and tastings. They are personally acquainted with owners and winemakers who take pleasure in sharing their wines and wine knowledge. Picnics along the scenic Loire Valley are included, and Sue is an excellent cook who will also prepare dinner (paired with local wines, of course), with prior reservations.
Set among vines, the house has four wonderful bedrooms with ensuite baths,completely modernized for comfort but retaining their 14th century charm. Guests are pampered with local handmade soaps and soft linens. There is a lovely garden for relaxing with an evening glass of local Anjou wine. You will be welcome to tour the caves beneath the property which were used for collecting and crushing the grapes at harvest as well as aging the wines in oak barrels. This is truly a unique property and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Visit the website for additional information and directions: www.lagrandemaison.net
Best for a range of flavours
The Loire has an excellent range of wines and flavours. If you’re not sure what you like you’ll be able to taste a range here from the crispest of the crisp Sauvignon Blanc to the smooth warmth of the Pinot Noirs which reflect the terroir so purely, to the value for money rogue of a wine Muscadet (the best ones are from the Loire). You’re bound to discover something new here which is the main reason to tour wine regions. And the countryside is second to none as well if you like a pretty village and the odd gorgeous chateau.
Add a comment, review or question
Sponsored ads
Tours to France
From moving memorials at Omaha Beach to the glitz of the Côte d’Azur, France tours combine historical landmarks with a taste of cultural panache
www.tauck.com
Hotels in Paris
A unique selection of hand picked luxury and character hotels. Great Rates, Reviews, Special Offers & Direct Online Booking!
www.splendia.com
Loire Valley Chateaux & Vineyards
Gentle 7 nts walking tour of the Loire Valley. Stroll between its finest chateaux through vineyards & rolling farmland. From £730.
www.inntravel.co.uk
Tour du Mont Blanc
Exciting itinerary concentrating on some of the most spectacular sections of the Mont Blanc circuit; a challenging trip for the trekking enthusiast.
www.exodus.co.uk
World Wide Cheap Flights
Cheap flights and the latest flight deals to all destinations around the world. Ridiculously good deals and friendly advice!
www.cheapflights.co.uk
Advertise here
Who's been here
Similar experiences
La Rioja Wine Region
Rioja, not surprisingly, comes from La Rioja, a wine region in northern Spain, but confusingly not all of the La Rioja region i…
Marlborough Wine Region
Tucked in between high mountains, the cool pebbly plains around Blenheim are where more than half of New Zealand's wine vines a…
Umbrian Vineyards
Umbria’s major wine, Orvieto, isn’t as popular outside Italy as it once was and most of the other wines produced here are unkno…
What's nearby
Sancerre
Some people say this is the most perfect expressions of Sauvignon Blanc flavour. The town sits on a hill, surveying the vineya…
Sancerre Wine Festival
Even people who don't enjoy wine like Sancerre; it's fresh, open, delicate and golden – a little bit like the Loire Valley area…
Pouilly-Fumé
Pouilly is across the river from Sancerre, and produces the very well recognised Pouilly-Fumé and the almost unrecognised Pouil…
