 The Loire river is France's longest, and it connects some of the country's most majestic châteaux, once the playground of the French élite. In fact Touraine claims to be the birthplace of the national language.
Some of France's most well-known representatives such as Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Saumur lie within the boundaries of the Loire Valley. It is geographically situated on the very limits of commercially viable viticulture, and so one of the wines' trademarks is relatively high acidity. It is a very varied region, and can seem quite complicated at times in terms of names and labels.
Generally speaking, the Loire can be divided into three main parts; the upper Loire, which plays host mainly to Sauvignon Blanc vineyards, the middle Loire, which is the Loire's most diverse viticulturally, and the Muscadet region, which sits around the mouth of the Loire river and is distinctly oceanic. Grape varieties planted in the Loire valley include Gros Plant, Melon de Bourgogne, Pineau d'Aunis, Grolleau, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Gamay, Côt, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir, to name but a few.
Richard
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