The Wine Regions and their Grape Varietals
The Loire River informs many different cultures, wine growing regions, cities and towns. It is the very heart of France.

Sancerre and Pouilly Fume
These two famous appellations are on opposite banks of the river. The wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre is often lighter more linear than Pouilly Fume which can be rich and complex. There are flint soils in the region (“silex”) which give the wines a distinct and delicious edge.

Anjou and Saumur
Anjou is the belt-buckle of the Loire valley, the middle. The grapes grown here are Cabernet Franc (red) and Chenin Blanc (white). The most well-known wines from this regions are the rose
from Anjou and the delicious Cremant sparkling wines which are soft and lovely. One of the best aperitif wines in the world.

Vouvray and Touraine
The wines of Vouvray, made from Chenin Blanc, are among the most well-known in world of wine and they have made Chenin Blanc a star varietal. Dry, semi-sweet or sweet, the wines of Vouvray surprise by their complexity and quality. From the region, there are also wines made from Cabernet Franc (red) and Gamay, the same grape grown in Beaujolais. There are delightful light reds that can be chilled and enjoyed in winter and summer.

Chinon and Bourgueil
The wines of Chinon and Bourgueil are on opposite sides of the Loire, friendly rivals like Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Both appellations produce superior red wines from Cabernet Franc and
have made Cabernet Franc a famous grape variety around the world.
The wines are spicy, herbaceous with the flavors of ripe sour cherries. Delicious!

Muscadet
The wines of Muscadet are made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape which has nothing to do with melons and nothing to do with Burgundy! The grape is more like Ugni Blanc grown further south in the Cognac region and in Gascony. The vineyards were originally planted to produce base wines for distillation but now produce delicious still wines aged on their lees that are both light and complex. Muscadet is the perfect match for seafood of all kinds.

The Loire stretches form central France to the Atlantic Ocean.  Along that way there are many specialties:  Cheeses, Crottin de Chavignol, Selles sur Cher, Valencay, Bucheron, Sainte Maure; most of these are goat cheeses perfect with the Sauvignon Blanc based wines of the Loire. 

Fish of all kinds from the river and the ocean, perch and bream in butter cream sauces, perfect with white wines and red too; oysters in Nantes, perfect with Muscadet;  Rillettes de Tour; rich pork or duck meat shredded with its fat and served on toasted bread, delicious with red and white wines.