Fine Wines of France and Video Tour

France is famous for its many fine wines and vineyards from regions all over France. France Travel Guide have produced a comprehensive article about each wine region. Here is an extract about the wines to be found in the Loire Valley.

As France is the country where winemaking and viticulture first was refined and the French defined many different types of wine production, regions of France are now just as synonymous with what wines come from there as what the scenery is like. France is the birthplace of modern winemaking and serves as a model for wine production internationally. Even though it’s only about the size of Texas, France produces between 7 and 8 billion bottles per year and has the second-largest total vineyard area in the world.

Loire Valley

While this area southwest of Paris has long been known as the former stomping grounds of French Kings, the Loire Valley is also France’s third largest wine producing region and is known for its sparkling wines – it’s France’s second largest region for sparkling wine after Champagne – and for its lighter reds.

Whites

Loire Valley white wines are perfect for spring and summer, as their fruity aromas and acidity make them lighter.

Rosés

The slightly sweet, pink hued rosés that come from the Loire are also known as a perfect summer wine and have a refreshing flavor. Rosés can be the perfect pre-dinner apéritif.

Reds

Loire Valley reds can be either lighter or full-bodied, but they do have a reputation as being a generally smoother, lighter red than those from Burgundy or Bordeaux. The lighter ones can be served chilled at a summer barbecue, and the fuller bodied are excellent for autumn, or as a slightly lighter alternative to more traditional winter wines.

Sparkling (fines bulles)

Because Champagne only comes from the Champagne region, the sparkling wine from the Loire Valley is called fines bulles. However, they produce some great sparkling wines that tend to be on the crisper, drier side, much like the whites from this region.

Sweet

The Loire Valley is known for its sweet wines that make for a great apéritif or dessert wine. Sweet white wines from the Loire are frequently paired with foie gras and are known to work well with blue cheeses as well.

Other regions covered in the article:

• Bordeaux
• Burgundy
• Rhône
• Languedoc-Roussillon
• Alsace
• Champagne

For the complete article: Wine Regions of France

To learn more about the wine regions of France - this long video explores all the regions:

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