Near the Atlantic, you’ll find blends of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, while in the Touraine the highly versatile Chardonnay grape will mix happily with Sauvignon Blanc. The Upper Loire is the spiritual home of Sauvignon Blanc, while a meander further up the river finds Gamay and Pinot Noir reigning supreme. Touraine’s Chinon Blanc makes for dry whites, complemented by its Cabernet-Franc based reds. Pay Nantais is best known and loved for its crisp Muscadets, while Anjou specialises in Chenin Blanc both sweet (Coteaux du Layon) and dry (Savennieres). Lighter-bodied wines are also made from Pinot Noir and Gamay. The quality of its reds is ever-increasing, with Cabernet Franc being the primary grape variety. The Loire proudly produces white wines with key grapes Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and Chardonnay. The town of Angers in Anjou is known mainly for its rosés, based on the Cabernet Franc grape, including Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou. Vouvray’s white wines sparkle while Chinon and Saumur are known for their meaty, tannic reds. The wines of the Loire Valley range from light, sharp Muscadet to honeyed Bonnezeaux. Explore the different regions, appellations and grape varieties of this beautiful part of France to learn more about its elegant wines. The Loire based holidays in the Belle France programme offer cycling and walking holidays but so many of customers ask about local wines and vineyards. On this specially designed, interactive map you'll find details of a range of vineyards, some close to our Loire routes and others not. If there are two words that have you reaching for a corkscrew and glass, they're surely Loire and Valley. This key wine region stretches from the hills of the Auvergne, deep in the heart of France, to the Atlantic coast near Nantes. It generates huge quantities of wine each year, from the everyday and quaffable to some of the very finest in the world.Ī trip to the Loire Valley is something of a treasure hunt, with gems such as Touraine, Sancerre, Anjou and Pouilly-Fumé hailing from the fertile lands along the river.

Alsace wine maps