Val de Loire (IGP)
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| Wine region : | Loire |
| Country : | France |
| Viticulture since: | attested about 5th century |
| Area : | > 70,000 hectares in 2002 |
| Production: | approx. 2.54 million hectoliters of quality wine ( 2002 ) |
| Share of quality wine : | > 70% |
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The Val de Loire wine-growing region comprises several wine-growing regions. The common denominator is that these areas are located on the Loire River and around ten of its tributaries. Furthermore, the northern location for French standards generally ensures fresh, light and delicate wines.
The product range includes dry and semi-dry white wines , white dessert wines , light red wines , sparkling wines and rosé wines . Around 70,000 hectares of vineyards are cultivated over a length of 1000 km (from Roanne near the city of Lyon to Nantes and Saint-Nazaire ). In the area of quality wines, around 1,400,000 hl of white wine and 1,140,000 hl of red and rosé wine are produced annually. This amount corresponds to around 10% of French wine production.
Within this area, no fewer than 32 appellations of origin in the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée category (AOC for short) and 15 Vin Delimité de Qualité Supérieur (VDQS for short) wines are combined. There are also almost 40 different Vin de Pays . The success of the Crémant de Loire led to the Loire becoming the second most important sparkling wine producer after Champagne .
Since this abundance of variants cannot generally be summarized under one generic term, sub-regions were defined with their own characteristic features. These are the regions of Anjou-Saumur, Pays Nantais and Touraine, which are described in more detail below. In addition, there are clearly remote wine-growing regions that are grouped under the Cœur-de-France or Center region.
history
With the exception of some vineyards in the Pays Nantais, which were already laid out by the Romans, the history of viticulture on the Loire begins in the 5th century. The large monasteries in the region systematically planted vineyards. In a letter from the year 469, Sidonius Appolinaris mentioned the vineyards of the Celtic tribe of the Arverni , who had penetrated from the Auvergne to the Loire. Gregory of Tours also often described viticulture on the Loire in his work History of the Franks . He also reported on the often successful attacks by the Bretons on the vineyards or on the grape harvests in the area around the city of Nantes. For almost 500 years, viticulture has developed steadily and the secure transport by water also brought the area sales markets outside the region.
With the coronation of the Duke of Anjou Heinrich II. Plantagenet as King of England on December 19, 1154, a relationship between Loire wine and the French and English courts and aristocratic families began that lasted almost 900 years. This close relationship resulted in Loire wine enjoying a good reputation across Europe. This good reputation ensured good business and enabled winemakers to invest in even better quality. From the 15th century, for example, the vineyards began to be planted with new and above all better grape varieties such as Cabernet Franc .
Geography and climate
geography
Between the Massif Central and the Massif Armoricain , the Loire has found its way through the Paris basin .
climate
The vineyards of the Loire growing region are located on the northern limit of the reliable cultivation of wine in France. Mild and humid air from the Atlantic flows far inland. In addition, the Loire and its tributaries ensure a favorable mesoclimate due to the balancing effect of the water. In spite of the reliable nature of the climate, the vintage-dependent influence, especially in the case of red wines and sweet wines, is considerable in terms of both quantity and quality. The overall rather cool climate generally ensures, as is the case with Sancerre, for wines with a strong acidity and thus provides sufficient quantities of base wine for sparkling wine production.
With increasing distance from the sea, the climate becomes significantly more continental. In general, there is a risk of late frosts from spring to May. In 1991 the late frost destroyed around 70% of the harvest. The amount of precipitation between March and August is rather low with mean values of 45–57 mm / month. During this time, the precipitation usually falls in the form of short and violent thunderstorms. This can lead to damage from rot, especially in August and September.
Grape varieties
The white wines of the wine-growing areas Coteaux du Layon, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Vouvray and Savennières are all from the vine Chenin Blanc grapes. In their youth, the wines have a strong acid structure and can therefore develop in the bottle for a few years. The currently very popular Sauvignon Blanc variety is the basis of the white wines from Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Menetou-Salon . These wines initially have a pronounced cassis aroma (black currant). Some manufacturers are experimenting with aging these wines in small wooden barrels to take away some of their aggressive acidity and make the wines rounder and fuller. The Muscadet wines, which are to be drunk young, are made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape variety and go perfectly with dishes with fish and seafood.
The red wines from Saumur, Chinon and Bourgueil derive their fruity, velvety character from the Cabernet Franc grape variety . Other commonly grown red grape varieties are Gamay , Pinot Noir and Malbec . The latter is often called the Côt on the Loire .
Local specialties are made from the unknown grape varieties Grolleau , Grolleau Gris , Tressalier , Romorantin and Pineau d'Aunis .
Due to its northern location, the Loire region in France was a center for new grape varieties. From the middle of the 19th century onwards, efforts were concentrated on producing dark-colored red wines using colored grapes such as the Gamay de Bouze or Gamay de Chaudenay varieties or on finding early-ripening grape varieties such as the nutmeg-Ottonel .
Loire wine region
The Loire wine-growing region is the second largest wine-growing region in France after the Bordelais . The vineyards are spread over a few hundred kilometers along the Loire. Despite this heterogeneity, some wines belong to an appellation that extends geographically across the entire wine-growing region:
- Appellation Crémant de Loire , a sparkling wine that may be produced in the entire Loire area within permitted areas.
- Appellation Rosé de Loire , a rosé wine that has contributed a lot to the bad reputation of Loire wine in the past.
The country wine Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France is also nationally positioned and applies exclusively to single-variety wines of one grape variety.
Anjou-Saumur region
The Anjou-Saumur region has around 14,800 hectares of vineyards. The average annual production is 670,000 hectoliters. The area between the Pays Nantais and Touraine regions lies within the Maine-et-Loire department and in the north of the Vienne and Deux-Sèvres between the cities of Saumur , Angers , Ancenis and Thouars . A little out of the way is the Haut-Poitou appellation north of the city of Poitiers and southwest of Châtellerault . At the end of the 19th century the forested area was 31,000 hectares. The population was almost completely destroyed by the phylloxera infestation . The vines have largely stabilized since the 1960s.
Anjou
- Anjou appellation for white and red wines ( Anjou , Anjou-gamay, Anjou-villages, Cabernet d'Anjou (rosé)). The Anjou region is located near the city of Angers and is better known internationally for the Rosé d'Anjou or Cabernet d'Anjou made from Cabernet Franc. This often residual sweet wine was of poor quality in many vintages and had long prevented a quality movement in the region. On the other hand, there has been progress with the white wines made from Chenin Blanc (often called Pineau de la Loire or Franc blanc) and the red wines made from Gamay. Good qualities are usually offered under the Anjou-Villages appellation.
- Appellation Bonnezeaux , sweet white wines
- Appellation Chaume , white dessert wine
- Appellation Coteaux-de-l'Aubance , white dessert wine
- Coteaux-du-Layon appellation , white dessert wine
- Coteaux-de-la-Loire appellation
- Appellation Quarts-de-Chaume , white dessert wine
- Appellation Savennières , dry white wines
- Appellation Vins du Thouarsais
Saumur
The area around Saumur is the most important sparkling wine region in France after Champagne and the Crémant d'Alsace appellation . Every year almost 12 million bottles leave the wine cellar under the name Saumur Mousseux . While the champagne is made from the Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties, the Loire sparkling wine is a product of the Chenin Blanc variety and thus differs significantly from other sparkling wine products in France. The red wines offered under the Saumur-Champigny appellation name are light and pleasant and are similar to the wines from St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil.
- Coteaux-de-Saumur appellation
- Saumur appellation
- Saumur-Champigny appellation
Pays Nantais region
The Pays Nantais region extends south and east of Nantes , near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to Ancenis , in the southern part of the Loire-Atlantique department . Some areas are in the Vendée department . Vineyard area: approx. 16,000 hectares.
- Appellation Coteaux d'Ancenis , ( VDQS since 1954)
- Appellation Fiefs Vendéens , (VDQS since 1984)
- Appellation Gros Plant du Pays Nantais , white wine, (VDQS since 1954)
- Appellations Muscadet , Muscadet Sèvre et Maine , Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu and Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire , white wine, AOC . The Muscadet region is in a semicircle around southern Nantes. As a result of severe winter frosts in 1709, the winter-resistant grape variety Melon de Bourgogne was mostly planted. The most important buyers at that time were Dutch wine merchants who used the region's wines as the base wine for the so-called brandewijn . Despite a certain similarity in name, the Muscadet has nothing to do with wines from the Muscatel family. On the contrary, the wine is kept neutral and fresh and is a good accompaniment to fish dishes. The white wines of the smaller appellations Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu and Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire are often offered under the name sur lie . The wines are left on the yeast for a longer time and thus gain in fullness and freshness. Since the wines are bottled unfiltered, a depot can form. This depot is not a wine fault, but a natural consequence of the somewhat more complex manufacturing process.
Touraine region
The region extends from Saumur to Orléans over six departments: Indre , Indre-et-Loire , Loir-et-Cher , Loiret , Sarthe and Vienne . Vineyards: 13,000 hectares.
The area around Chinon, Bourgueil and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil is known for the red wines made from the Cabernet Franc grape variety. This grape variety is often called Breton here . The fullest red wine of these three appellations usually comes from quinone, while the wines from Bourgueil have a better structure due to a higher tannin content . The lightest wines in this region come from neighboring St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Due to their fruity character, the wines of all 3 appellations can be enjoyed chilled in summer.
- Appellation Bourgueil AOC
- Chinon AOC appellation
- Appellation Cheverny AOC
- Appellation Coteaux du Loir AOC
- Appellation Coteaux-du-Vendômois , ( VDQS since 1968)
- Appellation Cour-Cheverny AOC
- Haut-Poitou appellation , ( VDQS since 1970)
- Appellation Jasnières AOC
- Appellation Montlouis-sur-Loire AOC
- Appellation Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOC
- Touraine appellation
- Touraine-Amboise appellation
- Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau appellation
- Touraine-Mesland appellation
- Appellation Valençay ( VDQS )
- Vouvray AOC appellation
- Appellation Vins de l'Orléanais ( VDQS )
Region of Cœur-de-France or Center
Cœur-de-France is a highly fragmented wine-growing region in the north of the Massif Central , which extends over the following departments: Allier (south of the city of Moulins ), Cher , Indre , Loire (east of the Loire near Roanne, Loiret , Nièvre and Puy-de -Dôme (near Clermont-Ferrand )).
- Appellation Châteaumeillant (AOC since 2010)
- Appellation Côte Roannaise in the Loire department, (AOC since 1994)
- Appellation Coteaux du Giennois (AOC)
- Appellation Côtes d'Auvergne in the Puy-de-Dôme department, (VDQS since 1977)
- Appellation Côtes du Forez in the Loire department, (AOC since 2000)
- Appellation Menetou-Salon (AOC)
- Appellation Pouilly-Fumé (AOC)
- Appellation Pouilly-sur-Loire
- Appellation Quincy (AOC)
- Appellation Reuilly (AOC)
- Appellation Saint-Pourçain in the Allier department, (AOC since 2009)
- Appellation Sancerre (AOC)
literature
- Jancis Robinson: The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
- Pierre Galet: Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 . (French language)
- Benoît France: Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Éditions SOLAR publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 . (French language)
Web links
- The wines from the Loire region - France's official website (German)
