Wines from the Garden of France - The Loire

If you like Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll love the Loire: this is birthplace of the world’s most popular grape, with world-beating examples from Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and Menetou Salon. But if you’re all Sauvignon Blanc-ed out after our Kiwi promotion, fear not - this is also the place to go for whites like Chenin and Muscadet, and even reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Beaujolais grape Gamay. Hey, there’s even some fine fizz to be had from the areas of Vouvray and Saumur.

This is a region ripe for exploring, so take a glimpse at some of the Loire’s best kept secrets and a few of its more familiar names. Read on...

Everyone’s heard of Muscadet, so certainly not a secret to most - but this is a wine that is making a serious comeback due to the upsurge in finding perfect partners for seafood like oysters, lobster and mussels. The grapes are grown in the far west of the Loire, with influences from the Atlantic Ocean and the rivers Sèvre and Maine that flow into the Loire itself. Fresh, tangy and zesty are the watch words here – try the Château du Poyet, Muscadet de Sevre et Maine sur lie Vieilles Vignes 2013 and see for yourself.....

Vouvray is not just one style, but several – it can come as sweet, dry or fizzy depending on the vintage. It is made from a single grape variety – Chenin Blanc - now more famous from the likes of South Africa; but these are the styles that winemakers there have always alluded to. Try Domaine Didier Champalou’s dry-ish style of Vouvray, full of honeyed apple and pear flavours that is benchmark Chenin. Or you could go for the deliciously bubbly version, rarely seen outside the area – like a more complex Prosecco, but just as fun.

Another refreshing fizz is the apple and pear scented Domaine de Brizé Saumur Brut NV, while its pink counterpart, Domaine de Brizé Saumur Brut Rosé NV, uses the red grape Cabernet Franc to great effect. This is a wine full of cranberry and summer fruits, alongside crunchy apple and redcurrant notes.

As well as Cabernet Franc, the reds of the region can be made from Gamay, a grape made famous by the Beaujolais region. Domaine de Pierre’s Gamay de Touraine 2013 has a juicy palate of liquorice, strawberry and red apples – the perfect summer red to serve lightly chilled alongside a cold meat platter of salami and air-dried ham.

But if you can’t break away from the allure of the enchanting Sancerre, there are a few interesting variations on the theme. The world’s most famous Sauvignon Blanc (outside of New Zealand’s Marlborough) is omnipresent in Loire, mainly in the east, far from the likes of Muscadet. Sancerre may well be the best known incarnation of the grape in France, but Menetou Salon, and especially Pouilly Fumé, give this wine a run for its money. Try Alain Cailbourdin’s superior take on Pouilly Fumé with his Cuvee du Boisfleury Loire Valley 2013 or the oak-aged splendour of his ingenious Triptyque 2011.

Sancerre is not just a white wine appellation though - producers like Domaine des Vieux Pruniers make a fine Sancerre Rosé from Pinot Noir, a delicately pink, elegant wine with fresh fragrances of strawberries, raspberries, crushed leaves and minerals.

One rival to Sancerre’s Sauvignon Blanc crown in terms of value for money and sheer drinking pleasure is another of Domaine de Pierre’s wines, the Sauvignon de Touraine 2014. A favourite at GWW HQ, this neat Sauv Blanc is full of herbaceous notes of mint and sage as well as lime, gooseberry and a hint of elderflower. This wine offers unbeatable value, especially on promotion; one to snap up now and drink over the long, lazy summer weekends ahead.

By Chris Penwarden