Loire Valley: A Remarkable Region of Complex and Diverse Wines

First things first, where is the Loire Valley region? Well, it stretches along the longest river in France (known as the Loire… unsurprisingly!), and its location is an important place to start as it helps us understand how this area of France is able to produce such varied styles of wine.

Loire Valley is known to many as the “Garden of France” for its vast and thriving green landscape that skirts the river all the way from central, inland France to its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean. Being much further north than other famous appellations like Bordeaux and Rhône, Loire Valley generally has a slightly cooler climate in comparison, which shapes the grapes that grow here.

Because it covers so much ground, Loire Valley is spilt into three key winemaking areas – the upper, middle and lower Loire – each with its own microclimate. The upper and middle sub-regions are further inland, with drier, continental conditions and limestone terroir. While the lower sub-region by the Atlantic has a wetter, maritime feel with sandier soil.

As you can begin to see, there is no straightforward answer to this – but you can, however, break it down into upper Loire wine, middle Loire wine, and lower Loire wine.

Upper Loire
The part of the region that covers central France and is furthest away from the coast is, of course, a little drier and warmer than the rest of the Valley (although still very much part of a region that’s generally considered cool in the wine world). This is the sub-region that’s famous for its clean and crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Loved by wine lovers the world over for its lively acidity, shaped by the drastic temperature drops at night in the vineyards.

Middle Loire
The most popular grapes here are varieties that thrive in cooler climates. Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted white grape, displaying delicate floral aromas, crisp acidity and a distinct sweetness on the palate. Notes of green pepper, pear, quince and honey typically appear in wines made from these grapes, which is everything from dry white wines to sparkling and dessert wines. Light-bodied Cabernet Franc is the red grape of choice here, adored for its refreshing, fruity palate, soft tannins and perfumed aromas, and often used to make rosé wine and pink fizz too.

Lower Loire
The maritime end of the Valley, that experiences humid summers and wet, stormy winters, produces refreshing white wines that are screaming to be paired with seafood. The rocky, sandy soil here has excellent drainage (which is essential to cope with all the moisture that comes with the ocean air), producing super lightweight wines with high minerality. Usually made from Melon de Bourgogne, which is the most popular grape variety planted here.

From left to right on the map below, you can see the lay of the land in the Valley from the lower sub-region through to the inland, upper Loire area.

Whether it’s the super light whites, the crisp sparkling wines, the honeyed dessert wines, the ripe red fruit rosés or the fruity reds that tickle your fancy, we’re confident there’s a little something for everyone from this region of diverse wines.

To give a true flavour of what’s on offer in this remarkable region, our Loire Valley range covers pretty much every wine style you can think of. We’ve chosen a few highlights from the selection that perfectly represent each sub-region.

Upper Loire Sauvignon Blanc
A classic Loire Savvy B, Seraph Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, refined and balanced, but with a dash of Kiwi panache. You’ll find a nice delicate palate and zingy acidity.

Middle Loire Cabernet Franc
Made in the town of Saumur in central Loire, Clos des Cordeliers Saumur Champigny Cuvée Tradition is a stunning, dark bramble-filled Cabernet Franc. The limestone soils of the sub-region give a refreshing mineral backbone to this vino, resulting in a lovely elegance and balance of flavours.

Middle Loire Rosé
A Cabernet Franc-based blush wine crafted in the Chinon province, Domaine de la Semellerie Chinon Rosé has all the subtleness and prettiness you’d look for in a French rosé. Expect fresh raspberries and strawberries with herbal hints on the palate.

Middle Loire Crémant
Domaine Baumard Carte Turquoise Crémant de Loire NV is a fine example of a Loire sparkling wine, made from two of the regions most popular grapes – Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. It has depth and elegance, and gives top-end Champagne a run for its money!

Middle Loire Dessert Wine
From the world renowned dessert wine appellation of Coteaux Du Layon, Domaine Baumard Coteaux du Layon Carte d’Or is a gorgeously light and sweet white wine that makes a wonderful aperitif. Its pure fruit flavours and mineral freshness are exquisite.

Lower Loire Melon de Bourgogne
Made in lower Loire’s Muscadet appellation, Domaine La Haute Fevrie Château Thebaud Muscadet Sevre et Maine is a beautiful dry white with potential to age gracefully in your wine rack for many years (if you can resist it for that long!). Lots of stone fruit on the nose followed by a zingy grapefruit palate.