The Many Faces of the Loire Valley (it's not all about Sancerre!)

People always think of the Loire as a white wine producing region but in fact an enormous variety of different wines is made. The region stretches from the Atlantic coast almost as far as Burgundy, so you can imagine the variety of microclimates and soils and hence wine styles that this offers. It is not all about Sancerre! So imagine you’re in a boat travelling up the Loire into the centre of France and I will explain to you the treasures that you will find here.

 

The Loire Valley, courtesy of www.jacksonvillewineguide.com

 

Muscadet is a wine that a lot of you will have heard of but perhaps see as quite unfashionable. The key words to look out for are sur lie - this indicates that the wine has been allowed to rest on its "lees" (aka the dead yeasts that are present post fermentation) giving the wine its freshness and rich character. This is the perfect white to serve with moules marinières and other shellfish dishes served in and around Nantes.

Anjou-Saumur is the next region you come to, and by far the most productive in the valley. Here the main white grape is Chenin Blanc, which I believe is a stunningly underappreciated grape in this country (mainly thanks to all the drab examples we get from South Africa). Like Riesling, this grape variety is able to produce white wines that are super sweet or bone dry and everything in between. My personal favourites are the minerally, zingy Savennières and the sweet Coteaux du Layon wines which can be just as delicious as Bordeaux’s Sauternes. The main red grape of this region is Cabernet Franc, which is used to make the deliciously crunchy and earthy Saumur-Champigny.

Touraine is next, where Cabernet Franc is used to make Chinon, Bourgeuil and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgeuil – very similar in style to Saumur Champigny and best drunk young and slightly chilled. For the whites, Chenin Blanc is used to make Vouvray and Montlouis wines in either dry (sec), semi-sweet (demi-sec) or very sweet (moelleux) styles. This is where buying your wine from a reputable wine shop is useful as the manager can steer you towards the style that you’ll enjoy best. If you haven’t before tried these wines, they will blow your mind with their honeyed apple character.

Another wine that is worth looking out for from here is Sauvignon Blanc de Touraine – this is a fresh, fruity and grassy white made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, and you can normally get a bottle for under a tenner.  

Finally, as you reach the centre of France, you come to Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. These two villages are on opposite sides of the river from each other, with very chalky, stony soils (Pouilly Fumé’s soils are more flinty). Both whites are made from Sauvignon Blanc and their styles are very similar: grass, elderflower, gooseberry (or “cat’s piss” if you’re not a fan) and flinty/minerally. If you normally drink New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, have a taste of these for something a little more refined. You can get red and rosé Sancerre, not much is produced but it’s worth looking out for. Made from Pinot Noir, they tend to be full of soft red fruits and perfect for drinking in the Summer.

 Also worth looking out for is Menetou-Salon, another 100% Sauvignon Blanc white which is often referred to as a “poor man’s Sancerre.”

 

Happy Swigging!

Better late than never...

It's been a while since my last blog post and a lot has happened in that time. My boyfriend Chris is now my husband Chris, and we now live in Kent with our baby girl Sophia. Becoming parents has changed our drinking habits somewhat - hangovers are not an option anymore so we now focus on quality over quantity. Don't worry, that doesn't mean I'll only be blogging about £20+ bottles! But I hope I can help guide you towards wines that offer plenty more bang for your buck.

So I have promised myself that, between working and mummying, I will be blogging far more this year. I really hope you all enjoy what I have to say and the wines I recommend you drink.

Happy swigging!

Wine I'm drinking this month

I believe I am in the minority when I say I love cold weather. The clothes are so much more stylish, the food so wonderfully comforting, and the wine... well, it's all about rich, silky, spicy reds for me.

Right now my favourite red is L'Instant Truffier Malbec (Majestic, normally £9.99 but currently on offer at a cracking £7.49). Most of you will associate Malbec with Argentina thanks to such brilliant restaurants as GAUCHO which have made this varietal famous. But the grape originates from France, used in blending in Bordeaux but also vinified in its pure form in Cahors. The Rigal     family who make this particular wine started out in Cahors but have now extended their vineyard holdings into the Lot valley, from where this wine is produced. It's worth hunting out Cahors reds which tend to be very dark and savoury, peppery and meaty - excellent with rich meaty dishes such as cassoulet but definitely not to be sipped on their own. This Malbec however is much smoother, full of ripe fruits (even raisins) and hints of liquorice. Much more similar to the Argentine style than the French.

Keep warm and Happy Swigging!

Now for Something Completely Different

If you're lucky enough to have been dining out in London in recent years, you may have noticed that wine lists are increasingly showcasing wines that you may never have heard of. This is a trend I love as it challenges people to try something different and it also challenges restaurants to be more and more interesting with their selection. 

You'll no doubt also have seen the increased number of bars and restaurants touting "natural" wines. "Natural" is not a legally defined term so a wine could be labelled as such for many reasons, but the natural wine preachers will tell you that a wine is only natural if minimal chemicals have been used in either its viticulture or vinification, including sulphites which are used as a preservative. As a result, you will find that a lot of these wines will taste, well, a bit off. That's not to say that some natural wines aren't stunning (Morgon from Marcel Lapierre is a personal favourite) but some can take a little bit of getting used to. For example, my husband thinks that "all natural wines taste like cider."

But give my husband a glass of dry Sherry such as a Fino or a Manzanilla and he'll be in seventh heaven, which goes to show that everyone's palate is different. And his love of Sherry meant that he loved the latest wine I introduced him to. 

Jura wines are very unique and very difficult to come by in this country. This is mainly because the French drink them all! What makes them so distinctive is that traditionally they are made in an oxidative style - hence the similarity with Sherry - using a little known grape variety called Savagnin. If you are not familiar with Sherry, imagine bone dry wines with a hint of nuts and Marmite. Utterly delicious alongside smoked almonds, olives and charcuterie. We have just got back from a weekend in Paris (God Bless Grandparents) and we stumbled across an awesome little wine shop called Le Vin Qui Parle, who sold not one but TWO Jura whites: one light dry style (which went exceedingly well with our roast pork when we got home) and a "Vin Jaune" which is another level of craziness - aged for 6 or more years in partially-filled casks so that the oxidation is more intense, and the wine takes on an oiliness and richness that is not for everyone but well worth trying if you ever get the chance. 

Jura winemakers also make whites from Chardonnay and red wines from Pinot Noir and the lesser-known Trousseau grape. The one producer I have seen more than others is Tissot which I believe you can buy through Berry Bros & Rudd. But keep your eyes peeled - hopefully you'll see more of these on the market as our taste for more interesting wines grows.