The Loire Valley, located along the Loire River in central and western France, is often referred to as the ‘Garden of France,’ due to the beautifully flower-filled landscapes that dot the valley. Vineyards, flowers and rolling green hills surround historic castles and chateaux including the famous medieval cathedral of Chartres.  Ancient, historic cities such as Orleans, Bourges and Tours provide visitors with the chance to explore fabulous museums, art galleries, walk through churches and homes of famous men and women too numerous to name. When you add in the top-notch local cuisine, it is no wonder that this region draws in many of France’s wine conscious visitors.  All summer long, numerous fairs, festivals and pageants bring the Loire Valley’s history vividly to life featuring the history and produce of vineyards, farms and country markets.

The Loire Valley produces many superb wines, including the red wines of Chinon and sparkling whites of Vouvray. Not forgetting the regional version of kir – kir berrichone – crème du cassis with red wine. These pair excellently with the local supply of salmon, trout, wild boar, venison, pheasant and an abundance of mushrooms from the marshes and forests of the Solonge. As a former chef, I have always attributed my love  of charcuterie and terrines to my time spent dining in the region. 

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 Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of Anjou, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon, and Vouvray. While the majority of production is white wine from the Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc and Melon de Bourgogne grapes, there are red wines made (especially around the Chinon region) from Cabernet franc. In addition to still wines, rosé, sparkling and dessert wines are also produced.

The Loire Valley is about two-thirds the size of the Bordeaux wine region and is often divided into three sections. The Upper Loire includes the Sauvignon blanc dominated areas of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The Middle Loire is dominated by more Chenin blanc and Cabernet franc wines found in the regions around Touraine, Saumur, Chinon and Vouvray. The Lower Loire that leads to the mouth of the river’s entrance to the Atlantic goes through the Muscadet region which is dominated by wines of the Melon de Bourgogne grape.

Historically the wineries of the Loire Valley have been small, family owned operations that do a lot of estate bottling although there has been a recent trend towards wine cooperatives. As with the rest of France, if you can establish an itinerary and notify the wineries of your interest in visiting, you will get a much better reception. Many of the local hotels provide wine tours or have wine tour companies who will be glad to assist you whether you plan on visiting them by bike, boat or car.

Please bare with us as we complete this portion of our site. If you have any suggestions for wine related tourism operators, please send me an email at rich@sunflowerwinetours.com