Loire

Are you a fan of wines with a fresh, fruity flavour? Then you’ll find what you’re looking for in the Loire wine region. The Loire, the longest river in France at 1000 kilometres, offers ideal conditions for winegrowing: along the banks of the river, the climate is usually mild with sufficient cooling, which lends the wines their freshness. Covering an area of 70,000 hectares, the second largest wine-growing region in France stretches 400 kilometres from Sancerre to the Atlantic coast near Nantes. Some appellations such as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé on the upper reaches of the river (known for their Sauvignon blanc) are among the most famous in France. Nevertheless, the red wine there has no reason to go unnoticed: locally known as Breton, Cabernet franc is the main red grape cultivated along the Loire, supplemented with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Malbec and Gamay.