Loire Valley Wines
Visiting France to learn about its wines frequently takes Americans to Burgundy or Bordeaux, the two most widely recognized and praised wine districts in all of Gaul.
And there's no question that both districts are producers of some of the world's greatest wines. But understanding even a sliver of either district is a complicated undertaking and best left not for a first visit.
One reason, primarily, is that the best wines from either of those two areas, as excellent as they are, usually are so expensive that they only appeal to people who already know quite a bit about what each wine is.
Which is why I usually suggest that people learning about French wines aim for more reasonably priced wines. Such as those from the Loire Valley, which runs from west to east and has much to recommend it, including breathtaking non-wine sites.
The Loire (luh-wahr) is a spectacular area that was favored by the French kings during the Renaissance. Many of their phenomenal "summer" castles remain and are open to the public. Included are such treasures as Chenonceau, Villandry, Rivau, Chambord and Brissac.
What surprised me most during one trip was seeing the size of the servants' quarters, which in some cases were as large as the castle.
Several castles are constructed on attractive, rustic woodland waterways that allowed the kings to fish, hunt and hike.
The entire Loire area includes numerous sub-districts, each with its own wine reputation. The most widely planted grape variety is chenin blanc; perhaps its most famous is sauvignon blanc, grown in the eastern areas of Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre.
On the western edge of the district, a delicate white wine called Muscadet (moose-kah-day). It is often referred to as the seafood wine. One of the most popular wines, made from chenin blanc, is Vouvray. Most chenin blancs are slightly sweet; Vouvray Sec is dry and can age for years.
The most popular red wine of the district is cabernet franc. It has very little to do with its progeny, cabernet sauvignon, a bigger, more muscular wine. Cabernet franc is much less tannic and is completely dry.
As with most popular wine districts in France, a wine's name is often also the name of the district, so the area of Quincy (kan-see) is a light-bodied white and Chinon (shee-nohn) is a medium-weight red.
The town of Saumur (soh-muhr) is also home to several mushroom caves. Mushrooms were once grown commercially in Paris, but eventually moved to the Loire. Cave tours can often end up in a local cafe where mushrooms are featured. And where local wine is part of the repast.
The most delightful part of visiting the Loire over the years has been the ability to pop into tiny, family-owned wineries whose products are not distributed outside the district. The people are often remarkably friendly and always pleased to see visitors.
No wine of the week.
To find out more about Sonoma County resident Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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Last Updated: Monday, Apr 20, 2026 09:19:26 -0700
Copyright 2026 Creators Syndicate