Le Cordon Bleu - French Wines #1

Similar to the tour de France in Cuisine. Intermediate Wine travels around France exploring the various offerings.

First stop. Loire Valley.

An interesting number seven shaped region. Naturally following the Loire – France’s longest river. Rising in Cévennes, the Loire flows north. Turns left near Orléans and heads directly west. Empting into the Atlantic Ocean. Eight main tributaries create differing climates from region to region. Like the wide range of food offered from this terrain, so is true for its wines.

Loire Valley is the term for the wide-scope region. Broken into four main sections. Which are further separated, adding most of the confusion. Both in my class and for our discussion we will only talk about A.O.C. wines.

The Loire should look a little something like this.

I. Pays Nantais
a. Muscadet
b. Muscadet-Coteaux de la Loire
c. Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu
d. Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine Loire

II. Anjou
a. Anjou
b. Anjou Coteaux de la Loire
c. Anjou Mousseux
d. Anjou-Villages
e. Anjou-Villages Brissac
f. Bonnezeaux
g. Cabernet d’Anjou
h. Cabernet de Saumur
i. Coteaux de Saumur
j. Coteaux du Layon
k. Coteaux de l'Aubance
l. Quarts de Chaume
m. Rosé d’Anjou
n. Saumur
o. Saumur-Champigny
p. Savennières

III. Touraine
a. Touraine
b. Touraine Amboise
c. Touraine Azay-le Rideau
d. Touraine Mesland
e. Vouvray
f. Montlouis
g. Chinon
h. Bourgueil
i. St Nicolas de Bourgueil
j. Cheverny
k. Cour Cheverny
l. Coteaux du Loir
m. Jasnières

IV. Centre
a. Sancerre
b. Menetou-Salon
c. Reuilly
d. Chateaumeillant
e. Coteaux de Giennois
f. Pouilly-sur-Loire
g. Pouilly-Fumé
h. Quincy

This list represents how French wines are known and labeled. You go to the wine store to pick up a bottle of Qunicy, not sauvignon-blanc. This can be difficult for those that drink wine based on the varietal.

In general. The vines of the Loire are producing the following fruit.

I. Pays Nantais
a. Whites (blancs)
i. Muscadet (a.k.a. Melon de Bourgogne)

II. Anjou
a. Whites (blancs)
i. Chenin-Blanc
ii. Sauvignon-Blanc
iii. Chardonnay

b. Reds (rouges)
i. Gamay
ii. Cabernet-Franc
iii. Cabernet-Sauvignon
iv. Côt (known as Malbec outside of France)
v. Grolleau
vi. Pineau d’Aunis

III. Touraine
a. Whites (blancs)
i. Sauvignon-Blanc
ii. Chenin-Blanc
iii. Chardonnay

b. Reds (rouges)
i. Cabernet-Franc

IV. Centre
a. Whites (blancs)
i. Sauvignon-Blanc

b. Reds (rouges)
i. Pinot-Noir

This region also produces some great sparkling wines – naturally overshadowed by Champagne. Bubbly drinks from Loire are made from chenin-blanc, verses Champagne’s pinot-noir. If not handled carefully, a fizzy chenin-blanc can be too assertive. Nonetheless, it is better to drink a good sparkling Loire than a bad Champagne. In fact – according to my professor – it is better to drink a good sparkling from anywhere in the world than a bad Champagne. In other words, only good, well made (read, pricey) Champagne should be drunk. Good, non-Champagne, sparkling wines can run as cheap as 12-20 Euros per bottle.

One final success of today’s region is their sweet wines. The best from Anjou. Produced by the natural noble-rot affect. This process yields only one glass of drinkable wine per vine. So if you can afford the 500 Euro per bottle sweet Anjou, I’m told it’s the best in the world.

Session #1 – Tastes

• Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Sur Lie (muscadet) by Domaine de la Bretonniere, 2008
• Sancerre (sauvignon-blanc) by François Crochet, 2008
• Chinon (cabernet-franc) by Domaine de Noire Chinon, 2005
• Cabernet-d'anjou Rosé (cabernet-franc; cabernet-sauvignon) by D omaine du Portaille, 2008
• Coteaux du Layon (chenin-blanc) by Domaine des Baumard, 2008