Wines for Springtime: The Essential Guide to Loire Valley Wines

This article is adapted from a regional guide originally published on SevenFifty Daily.

While it may not be the first French wine region that comes to mind, the Loire Valley produces some of the world’s most-loved wines, and it’s become a trade darling in recent years, too. From crisp whites like Sancerre and Muscadet to fresh reds like Chinon—and every style and sweetness level in between—Loire Valley wines are particularly well-suited to springtime menus.

Centered around the slow-moving Loire River, which originates in south-central France and spills out on the eastern coast near Nantes, the Loire Valley is home to low hills, grand châteaux, and plentiful vineyards. It’s France’s third-largest wine-producing region by volume, with 35 geographical indications and a particular focus on sustainable viticulture. Today 85 percent of the region is committed to organic farming or an environmental certification.

With refreshing sparkling wines, bright whites, easy-drinking rosés, complex reds, and exceptional sweet wines, the Loire Valley is a must-know for any wine program. Here’s your introduction to this French wine region.

History

Viticulture in the Loire Valley dates back to the 1st century and the Roman empire. By the Middle Ages, the valley became an important bridge between northern and southern European cultures, a position that would later help the Loire forge the national identity of France. 

The various kings and nobles of 16th and 17th century France turned to the Loire for their hunting grounds and built lavish palaces—one of the valley’s major draws for present-day tourists. While the nobility promoted the region’s wines far and wide, it was the Benedictine and Augustinian monks who preserved viticultural traditions throughout this time frame. Phylloxera was particularly virulent with the Loire’s vineyards, but with modernity, the region was resurrected, and it began to find a critical following in the restaurants of Paris and beyond. Today, roughly 20 percent of the region’s wines are exported; the U.S. is the number one export market for Loire Valley wines.

Geography

The Loire River flows through the historic heart of France and is the longest river in the country. Vineyards sit on both riverbanks, covering much of its length, and extend to tributaries such as the Cher, the Vienne, the Loir (no “e”), and the Maine. The river both moderates temperature in the surrounding vineyards and contributes humidity, which is key to the specific wine styles that many of these regions produce.

A wide variety of soil types also distinguishes these various terroirs. From crumbly flint to chalky tuffeau, impermeable granite to decomposed volcanic rock, these soils define many Loire Valley wines. The diversity of geography manifests itself in the Loire’s dozens of subregions; no other French region features such a concentration of AOCs supporting so many completely different grapes.

Key Grape Varieties in the Loire Valley

Because the Loire Valley encompasses so many different microclimates, the region is ideal for a wide array of wine grapes: 24 in total. Here are six to know:

• Melon de Bourgogne: This is the sole grape variety used to make Muscadet, in the Atlantic-influenced vineyards of Pays Nantais. It creates wines with bright acidity, saline minerality, and distinct citrus notes—perfect for pairing with oysters.
• Chenin Blanc: Native to the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc dominates in the two Middle Loire regions of Anjou and Touraine, making well-known wines in regions like Vouvray and Savennières. Well-suited to still, sweet, and sparkling wines alike, Chenin Blanc has high acidity and often carries apple and pear notes alongside nutty accents.
• Sauvignon Blanc: Some of Sauvignon Bland’s best-known iterations come from the Loire Valley, particularly in regions like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, which lend notes of smoke or gunflint to the grape’s signature citrus notes and acidity.
• Cabernet Franc: Mostly found in the Middle Loire, specifically from regions like Chinon, Saumur, Bourgueil, and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Cabernet Franc is quite distinctive. Black cherry, violets, black pepper, and fresh herbs are common alongside fresh acidity.
• Gamay: Outside of Beaujolais, the Loire Valley is an important region for Gamay, which creates light, plummy reds and sparkling wines as well.
• Pinot Noir: Used as a versatile workhorse grape, Pinot Noir is found in the light reds of Sancerre and Reuilly as well as rosés and sparkling wines.

The Loire Valley’s Key Regions

The Atlantic Ocean plays a role in many of the Loire Valley’s wine regions, with humidity-laden air reaching the city of Tours some 160 miles inland. Generally, the climate becomes more continental as you continue moving upstream, with wider day-night temperature shifts.

While there are dozens of appellations in the Loire Valley, they can be segmented into five main subregions, from east to west (though Anjou and Saumur are often consolidated into one subregion):

• Pays Nantais: Anchored by the city of Nantes, the Pays Nantais has a decidedly maritime influence, with the lowest elevation vineyards. It’s known for the regions of Muscadet and Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, both of which craft fresh whites from the Melon de Bourgogne grape.
• Anjou: Centered around the city of Angers, Anjou crafts a diverse range of wines. Chenin Blanc creates exceptionally age-worthy dry and sweet wines in Savennières as well as similarly age-worthy sweet wines in Bonnezeaux and Coteaux du Layon. You’ll also find rosés in Anjou.
• Saumur: Sparkling wine—specifically Crémant de Loire—is important in Saumur, centered on Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. It also makes dry wines from Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc and is known for its famous tuffeau soil.
• Touraine: Located around the city of Tours, Touraine is home to several well-known regions, specifically Vouvray (known for delicious dry, sweet, and sparkling Chenin Blanc) and Chinon (known for some of the world’s finest Cabernet Franc). The larger Touraine AOC is also known for Sauvignon Blanc with excellent value.
• Centre Loire: Far upstream, the Centre Loire is known for its iconic Sauvignon Blanc regions: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The soils are flint and marl, creating wines with lively acidity and plenty of citrus, grass, and smoke notes. Other appellations, like Quincy, Reuilly, and Menetou-Salon, produce similar, more value-oriented wines. Reds in the region are made from Pinot Noir.

Though the Loire Valley has thousands of years of viticultural history, each year there are new and exciting developments from this French wine region. To learn more about what’s happening in the Loire Valley today, visit SevenFifty Daily’s full regional guide here.