Loire Valley Wines, Wineries & Vineyards, History, Pictures, Travel Guides

There are many who share the opinion that the Loire Valley is the most beautiful section of France.

The Loire river runs through many regions which produce wines that vary in sweetness and ability to improve with aging. Some of the Loire wines are best drunk young while others can be savored decades after they are produced. The Terroir-France site captures the essense of the region when they say, "It is probably more accurate to say that the Loire Valley is made of several different regions which have one thing in common: the river."

This wine growing area begins in the Massif Central mountains in the center of France and cuts a slim slice through to the Atlantic. Sauvignon Blanc produces gems like the Pouilly-Fumé when mixed with Pouilly and Chasselas, Chenin Blanc becomes wines such as Vouvray, and in Muscadet the grape and the white wine both bear the area's name, although you may see the vines listed as Melon de Bourgogne. Cabernet Franc ferments into the red wine Bourgueil while Sauvignon and some Pinot Noir make the Sancerre wine.

The appellations that the Loire river runs through are the Berry region, Touraine, the Anjou region, the Nantes region, Haut-Poitou and the Orléans region. Within these large appellations you will find more variation in climate... and in wines than in any other region of France. You'll find names such as Anjou, Saumur, Sancerre and within each area there are incredible numbers of world famous Loire Valley Chateaux...

Loire Wine Guide - The wine doctor covers the area touching on the grapes used for the wines produced in each section and what you can expect from the finished product. Recommendations are frely given along with advice on which bottles should be enjoyed immediately and which will age well. He finished off with a rundown of recent vintages.

Terroir-France - Loire Valley - This site has complete coverage of the Loire Valley wines. You'll find the wines of Loire, information on the Loire region and the history of wine and wine making in Loire, Loire wine and food and the opportunity to buy Loire wines. They also include pages dedicated to reviewing individual wines - Muscadet, Anjou, Coteaux du Layon, Saumur, Touraine, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre.

Loire Valley Online - This site provides information on the Loire Valley that covers much more than the wines. The wine section is excellent, though. Just click on Gastronomy in the menu to be transported to information on the appelations, lists of wines and wine growers as well as the grapes that make up each wine. There are mini reviews provided that explain what to expect from each wine.

Berry Bros & Rudd - Loire Wines - This UK wine shop has a very short introduction to the wines of the Loire that packs an amazing amount of intelligence into a few paragraphs. Sections on the grape varieties and vintages are good resources. They also offer an outstanding selection of Loire wines for sale.

Arblaster & Clarke - Loire - This travel agency is famous for their real life wine tours. The information on the Central Loire and the Eastern Loire gives a good overview of which wines are produced, the grapes used and the taste and nature of the region's wines.

Dining In France - This site takes a different approach to providing information on Loire wines. They have gathered articles on the wines and the viticulture in the area that cover individual wines as well as more general topics. Articles are added as they become available. Stop by to see what's new.

Highlights from the Loire Valley - Rosemary George MW, gives some insight on the 2003 vintage and the rest of the information is her short review notes on specific wines for you to get an idea of the offerings. There are also links to the stockists of 2003 Loire wines on wine-searcher.com.

also see -> France Travel | Loire Valley Chateaux