Snaking East from the Bay of Biscay towards Paris before taking a dramatic turn South is the most beautiful river in France, the Loire. Since Roman times it has been the source of many wonderfully fresh yet very serious wines. From the famous Sauvignon Blancs grown around the towns of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé to the red Cabernet Franc found near Tours and finally, to the heavenly dessert wines grown near the Layon River, the Loire is full of interesting and delicious wines that are wonderfully elegant, undervalued and a great match with a range of foods.
Starting with the mouth of the river at Nantes, we find the dry and tart Muscadet, which is best to drink young with oysters or freshly caught seafood. From there the river meanders along to the vineyards of Anjour-Samur and Touraine. Two grapes dominate here, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Medium weight reds from the Cabernet Franc grape are found in Anjou, Samur, Samur-Champigny, Chinon and Bourgueil appellations, which are a very tasty and aromatic alternative to Pinot Noir.
However, I reckon the finest wines from the region come from Chenin Blanc. Chenin has steely acidity, so it can age and improve for longer than almost any other white grape, plus wonderfully pure fruit flavours. The appellation of Savennières produces profound dry Chenin Blanc with hints of grapefruit and wet wool on a tart and rich palate, while the wines of Vourvray can be dry or medium-sweet. Amazing and long-lived sweet Chenin-based wines are found in Côteaux du Layon, Quarts-de-Chaume and Bonnezeaux. Very sweet but with balancing fresh acidity, these wines are heaven with blue cheese. Many people have never even heard of Chenin Blanc, let alone tasted it. But trust me, Loire Chenin is a great wine style and worth getting stuck into.
As we head west and further from the sea, the vineyards change and Sauvignon Blanc becomes the grape of choice. While New Zealand wines may be in your face, the Paris Hilton of Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Sauvignon is much more Lauren Bacall; smoky, complex, sophisticated and very, very beautiful. While the finest vineyards are found in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, good and better-priced wines can be found in Touraine, Cheverny, Quincy and Reuilly.
