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The Loire is France’s longest river and the last wild river in Europe. On its meandering 629 mile-long path from its headwaters in the Massif Central to its mouth on the Atlantic Coast, the Loire River nurtures a number of distinct wine regions that defy easy categorization.
The most notable appellations exist in a nearly unbroken chain from Pays Nantais on the Atlantic Coast to the Central Vineyards of the Upper Loire, which stand at the exact geographical center of France. The Loire Valley, or Jardin de la France, is a patchwork of agriculture, history, and natural beauty, and was designated a World Heritage Site in 2000.
Winemaking in the Loire dates to at least the 1st century CE. Viticulture in Touraine was chronicled in the 6th century, and Chenin Blanc made its first appearance in 845 just south of Angers. In 1089 the Abbey at Bourgueil introduced the Cabernet Franc grape to the region. The wines have always been an important commodity in the cafés of Paris, and were exported via Nantes to England by the 11th century. The wines of Sancerre, Anjou, and St-Pourçain succeeded each other in national repute during the High and Late Middle Ages, when the Loire Valley was the focus of French society. This focus shifted with King Louis XIV’s coronation at Reims, and his development of Versailles. The pastoral Loire Valley faded from view as the Industrial Age blossomed and swifter transit brought new wines to Paris. Crippled by phylloxera in the 1880s and supplanted by the wines of Bordeaux and others, the Loire Valley was almost forgotten as a viticultural region. Today, although the valley is almost universally under-appreciated, the Loire offers an incredible range of food-friendly wines, typically lighter in style but remarkable for their honesty