It follows the course of the loire river on its long journey through the heart of france, from the inland hills of auvergne to the plains on the french atlantic coast near nantes muscadet country important in terms of both quantity and quality, the region generates vast quantities around 4 million hl each year of. The dk eyewitness loire valley travel guide will lead you straight to the best attractions loire valley has to offer. Figure out where to look to your next bottle of loire. Langeais for its fortresslike setting above an appealing little village, and its evocative 15th and 16thcentury rooms. As with all of our guides, this book is optimized for intuitive, quick navigation. Here are just a few of the reasons to visit the loire valley. But nowhere can match the loires range of styles, from light, crisp muscadets to raspberryrich chinons. The chinon region is bordered on the north by the loire river and stretches south, where it straddles the vienne river. Time travel through france by way of its finest chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries.
Perhaps its because at this northerly limit of commercially viable viticulture the grapes have had to struggle to ripen, at least until global warming kicked in, so the wines hallmark is relatively high acidity. Offical website loire valley wine vineyard wine aoc. Gift ideas in loire travel guides any department books. Some wines, like the moderately sweet rieslings of germany and the cabernet francs of the loire valley, can be both adored and. The river loire courses through the center of the city, and the river erdre, a tributary to the loire, also runs through nantes. The loire valley is also known for its outstanding wines red, white, rose and sparkling and lively, sophisticated cities, including orleans, blois, tours and angers yet more reasons why the entire area is an enormous unesco world heritage site. Jacqueline friedrichs 1998 wine and food guide to the loire is truly enlightening on these points. Languedoc, roussillon, and the loire valley likely show up further down the list. In 2000, unesco added the chateaux of the loire valley to its world heritage list. The simplified view is that the east produces sauvignon blanc.
Rent bikes and roll through the lush valley, visiting fortresses in amboise and angers, unescodesignated chartres cathedral and the gothic cathedral in nantes. The loire valleys best spring vegetables, fruit, river fish and meat inspire the pairings that follow, and are an easy way to eat and drink french history. Every wine and food tour that we organise is different and specially adapted for the season and the circumstances. The guide includes unique cutaways, floorplans and reconstructions of the regions stunning architecture, plus 3d. Its climate varies from the continental one of its eastern edge to the balmier pays nantais, which is warmed by the gulf stream. Revisiting the reds of the loire valley the new york times. My story as an american au pair in the loire valley french illusions book 1 linda kovicskow. Important wine regions, but not quite in the same league as the others in terms of reputation and market presence. The 634 mile loire river spans from the central mountains of france to the coast in nantes. The wine and food guide to the loire, frances royal river. The word vin naturel wasnt really used back then even among them, marcel lapierre rather spoke of vin non technologique, the term vin naturel surfaces around 2000 or around the late 90s speaking of jules chauvet, read le vin en question which marie just republished, this is a transcription of a lengthy exchange between chauvet and hans ulrich kesselring in 1981. From april 23rd to 27th 2019, we headed west to the nantes vineyards to welcome 70 international writers and journalists to the loire valley, and to j visit the loire valley wines route loire valley is the third tourism and wine region in appellation. The guide includes unique cutaways, floorplans and reconstructions of the regions stunning architecture, plus 3d aerial views and all the mustvisit wineries.
Decode the wines of the loire valley wine enthusiast. Loire valley guide showing the many things to do and see in this beautiful part of france,from people who live here tn the loire valley, more than just the loire river and its chateaux. Nevertheless, it remains largely overlooked by the international wine drinking public. Popularity of loire valley wines with sommeliers and wine writers has been growing steadily for the last ten years because for all their variety, loire valley wines share important characteristics that make them perfect for contemporary taste. The loire valley travel guide expert picks for your. Even though the loire valley is an ancient region for making wine, its also new in many respects. Get to know the wines of frances loire valley vinepair. The loire valley wine region includes the french wine regions situated along the loire river from the muscadet region near the city of nantes on the atlantic coast to the region of sancerre and pouillyfume just southeast of the city of orleans in north central france. Online shopping for loire france from a great selection at books store. Wineries of the loire valley touring in wine country. Look in the menu our tours scheduled tours to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour. Books about loire valley the slow road travel blog. The road from the past, traveling through history in france.
Look in the menu our tours scheduled tours to check what scheduled tours are currently on the. The area of the loire valley comprises about 800 square kilometres 310 sq mi. We explain what to look for on a loire valley wine label and what it tells you. The loire valley itself follows the river through the loire province to the rivers origins in the cevennes but the majority of the wine production takes place in the regions noted above. There are racy whites, refreshing roses, reds that favor fruit over force, and sumptuous sweet and sparkling wines that even rival neighboring champagne. Massive wine cellars, wine tasting walks in the vineyards, trips on traditional boats, stays in the vineyards, entertaining wine events. With the wars of the 15th century fading, the loire valley, long known as the garden of france, became a showplace of new and fabulous chateaux dagrement, or pleasure castles. Loire valley wine tour private guided tours of the loire valley. The loire valley is a key wine region in western france. Remember your trip forever with this fun loire valley wine journal. Old world villages and storybook chateaux bedeck the loire, once fought over by gauls, romans, visigoths and even attila the hun. In the renaissance era the french kings preferred to reside in the loire region, hence the hundreds of chateaux.
Loire valley wine region map wine posters, maps, books, and. Loire valley wine sancerre, bourgueil, pouily french wine guide. The loire valley is a just short train journey from paris and an easy drive from the coast of normandy. Quality and concentration is good, with chenin blanc being particularly noteworthy in 2016 while sancerre is thought to be the best of the sauvignon blanc appellations. Once again, frost caused significant crop loss in the loire valley, especially in muscadet. Top 10 most beautiful chateaux of the loire valley french.
The loire valley is the largest source of white wine in france, the secondlargest source of ac rose, and the thirdlargest source of ac wines generally. The loire river valley is a massively varied viticultural region in northwestern france. The loire valley wine bureau is the marketing representative of interloire and the bureau interprofessionnel des vins du centre bivc in the united states. Villandry for the best gardens in the loire valley and possibly all of france. Jan 15, 2014 even though the loire valley is an ancient region for making wine, its also new in many respects. The battle of tours in 732 ad saw the armies of charles martel defeat an invading islamic force from spain. Weve put together reading lists of books about loire valley from novels to great guidebooksthat have really opened up our favourite. I have to admit that the product information makes no promises of wine district maps, producer info or the like but the thought of selling a completely generic wine.
Things not to miss in the loire valley when you visit the loire valley, sample the regions fantastic wine and cheeses, especially in touraine, and be sure to include some of these popular. Journal for your loire valley experiences with blank packinglist journal with space for 120 stays. Loire valley guide for visitors from people living here. In between are the regions of anjou, saumur, bourgueil, chinon, and vouvray. More than one thousand vineyards are open to the public, including 400 specially accredited wine cellars, where you will meet the winemakers and taste their numerous types of loire valley wines. The clement et florian berthier sancerre has the class. Learn about the taste and possible food pairings with sancerre and then discover some highquality alternatives in sauvignon blanc from the loire valley. Apr 06, 2011 in the valley just to the east, the loire river divides sancerre from its neighbor, pouillysurloire, where pouillyfume is produced.
The loire valley wine guide the loire valley is home to over 4,000 wineries that produce a dizzying array of elegant, high quality wines. The loire valley and its wines hardcover march 1, 1990 by james seely author see all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The sancerre wine district is a small area which surrounds the loire valley in central france. But the wines sue and i found during a recent press tour of these regions are so well matched to current market trends that i think this situation is. In this advanced guide well explore the wines of the loire valley of francefrom muscadet to sancerre. Taste and discover a wide selection of the wines of the loire valley, one of the major wineproducing regions of france. Unlocking the market potential of languedoc, roussillon. The loire valley featuring a compelling lineup of distinctive grape varieties, high quality winemaking and large production volumes is home to some of frances most impressive wines. Travel along its 1,000km wine route, which reveals historic monuments and prestigious wine districts. The area extends from sullysurloire to chalonnes along the banks of the river loire and its tributaries. The loire valley is frances most diverse wine region, producing exemplary wines in every style. Wine school the beauty of saumur champigny, not always appreciated.
Cabernet franc is delicious, ripe and fruity according to loire courtier chris. Loire valley wine tour private guided tours of the loire. The region of the loire valley had a long, long history and it is the site of some of the most important conflicts in the history of the western world. Loire valley wines press releases and media queries. Listed as a unesco world heritage site for its landscapes and chateaux, the loire valley has a unique lifestyle and worldfamous vineyards. Loire valley wine tour the wine travel specialist bkwine. Along the river and its tributaries youll discover the enigmatic wines of the loire valley. Nantes, france, like countless other cities, has long been known as the venice of the west for its prominent water features. The loire valley is home to over 4,000 wineries that produce a dizzying array of elegant, high quality wines. Sancerre is known for its flinty, savory sauvignon blanc from the loire valley of france. If you book in advance with the help of a local travel expert, on top of enjoying a walk in the vines and a tour of the cellar, you can get access to exclusive and. Learning the wines of the loire valley in france this region is known as the garden of france. Some wines, like the moderately sweet rieslings of germany and the cabernet francs.
Nov 21, 2016 this wine from anjou the region around the city of angers is made from handharvested grapes and is aged in large oak barrels. Journal for your loire valley experiences with blank packinglist journal with space for 120 stays sep 21 2019 by travel journals loire valley. In this advanced guide, well explore the wines of the loire valley of francefrom muscadet to sancerre. Together, interloire and bivc represent all of the appellations of the entire loire valley. The word vin naturel wasnt really used back then even among them, marcel lapierre rather spoke of vin non technologique, the term vin naturel surfaces around 2000 or around the late 90s speaking of jules chauvet, read le vin en question which marie just republished, this is a transcription of a lengthy exchange between chauvet and hans. There is not one word of travel advice or information on wines or producers. Discover the friendly, diversity, fresh and fruity wines of france and explore the region they come from. This is the spiritual heartland of sauvignon blanc.
Sancerre wines are famous for their crisp, fragrant white wines made from the sauvignon blanc grape. The loire valley wine region is one of the worlds most wellknown areas of wine production and includes several french wine regions situated along the river from the muscadet region on the atlantic coast to the regions of sancerre and pouillyfume just southeast of the city of orleans in north central france. Private guided tours of loire valley, france wine, vineyards, winery and chateaux loire valley wine tour. Outside northern france, the loire, with the exception of sancerre and pouillyfume, has tended to be overlooked by modern wine enthusiasts. Chinon is probably the bestknown red wine region in the loire valley, often producing cabernet franc that can go headtohead with bordeaux stemilion. We used her book to develop our own 14 day tour of the loire valley and, thanks to many of her tips, it was a trip of a lifetime. May 01, 20 the dk eyewitness loire valley travel guide will lead you straight to the best attractions loire valley has to offer. Tremendous improvements have taken place over the last generation, both in the vineyards and in.
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