Loire

Question 1

What is the area from Angers to Orleans in Loire known as?

Answer 1

Le Jardin de la France (The Garden of France)

This name dates back to the 16th century and references a royal craze for importing “rare” vegetables from Italy and the gardeners to tend them. The central portion was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Question 2

Which is France’s largest white wine-producing region?

Answer 2

Loire

• 2nd largest sparkling wine producer
• 3rd largest overall producer of AOC wines

Question 3

Which two wine trends have found a point of divergence in Loire?

Answer 3

The natural wine movement thrives here.
Some biodynamic vignerons, who must follow very specific production practices from vine to wine, take issue with the complete void of regulations for natural wine production.

Question 4

How has Loire benefited from global warming?

Answer 4

• Melon de Bourgogne reaches greater levels of ripeness, enabling this grape to be fashioned into even more distinctive wines in the Muscadet AOC
• increasingly reliable patterns of warm, dry autumns are creating quality sweet wines from Layon

Question 5

What is Fines Bulles?

Answer 5

Translated to “fine bubbles”, this is a category of sparkling wines held in high esteem in Loire:
* Petillant
* Mousseux
* Cremant

Question 6

Which Loire appellations are often overlooked?

Answer 6

The 4 of Upper Loire. There is a movement to market these as “Volcanic Loire”, but two vineyards (Saint-Pourcain & Cotes d’Auverge) have significant plantings on sedimentary soils.

Question 7

What was the consequence of the Vouvray decision for the requirement of vinification to occur within the appellation boundaries?

Answer 7

This shut out two of its top producers who own land within Vouvray, but vinify it across the river at their wineries in Montlouis-sur-Loire.
* Francois Chidaine
* Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups

Question 8

How much area does Loire vineyard land encompass?

Answer 8

140,000ac/57,100ha (2019)

Question 9

What percentage of wine production in Loire is white, rose, red and sparkling?

Answer 9

• 44% White
• 25% Rose
• 18% Red
• 13% Sparkling

Question 10

What is the meaning behind Loire’s name?

Answer 10

The name is taken from the Latin word for “liger” meaning silt/sediment.
The name is fitting, as sand bars are common.

Question 11

What difficulties have there been with the Loire river?

Answer 11

• the current is so strong that river traffic only flowed in one direction: downriver
• traffic was very difficult for a third of the year, as the water level could be low: for years, wines travelled in flat-bottomed boats called “gabarres”, “sapines” or “auvergnates” to Nantes (on arrival, the boats were disassembled and used for building material).

Question 12

Where is Loire located?

Answer 12

North of Bordeaux, south of Normandy, east of the Atlantic Ocean and west & southwest of Bourgogne.
The river originates from springs at the base of Mont Gerbier de Jonc in the Massif Central’s Cevannes Mountains. It empties into the Bay of Biscay.

Question 13

How long is the Loire river?

Answer 13

It stretches slightly more than 620mi/1,000km from its headwaters to its delta on the Atlantic Coast.

Question 14

What topographical features contributes to the climate in Loire?

Answer 14

• Loire River; it helps warm the vineyards that flank it.
• Tributaries of the Loire River: these also assist in creating favourable mesoclimates suitable for ripening grapes

Question 15

Name the sub-regions of Loire.

Answer 15

• Pays Nantais (Lower Loire)
• Anjou, Saumur & Touraine (Middle Loire)
• Centre-Loire & Upper Loire

Question 16

What is the climate in Loire?

Answer 16

• Pays Nantais: Maritime
• Anjou, Saumur & Touraine: Maritime with continental influences
• Centre-Loire & Upper Loire: Continental

Question 17

Which portions of Loire lie within which major land-forms?

Answer 17

• Pays Nantais & Anjou: belong to the Massif Armoricain
• Touraine & Centre-Loire: Paris Basin
• Upper Loire: Massif Central and its ranges

Question 18

What soil types are found in Loire?

Answer 18

• sedimentary soils
• soils created by the decomposition of igneous & metamorphic rock
• wind-blown sands

Question 19

Rank the grapes grown in Loire from widest to least planted.

Answer 19

1. Cabernet Franc (25%)
2. Sauvignon Blanc (16%)
3. Chenin Blanc (15%)
4. Melon de Bourgogne (14%)
5. Gamay (7%)
6. Chardonnay (4%)
7. Pinot Noir (3%)
8. Grolleau (3%)
   Other (13%)

There is a wide range of grape varieties grown here. Each sub-region is dominated by a different set of principal grapes.

Question 20

What canopy management techniques are used in Loire to optimize the ripeness of the fruit?

Answer 20

• Short pruning
• De-budding
• Green harvesting

These techniques together with climate change have let to earlier harvests.

Question 21

When are grapes harvested in Loire?

Answer 21

• harvest begins around September 15
• Melon from Pays Nantais & grapes for sparkling wines are harvested first
• Cabernet Franc & late-harvest Chenin Blanc are last
• botrytis affected grapes are picked in stages (tris) and continues well into November

Question 22

When is hand harvesting used in Loire?

Answer 22

This is required in certain appellations (e.g. Cremant de Loire) and is necessary for late-harvest wines in order to select the grapes infected with botrytis.

Question 23

What vine training methods are used in Loire?

Answer 23

Various training systems are used, but the most common are:
* Guyot
* Cordon

Question 24

What winemaking practices are used for white wine in the Loire Valley?

Answer 24

This region focuses on preserving the wine’s natural acidity & freshness.
* quick harvest
* followed by fermentation in thermoregulated tanks
* some use of large oak vats (400-600L)
* most do not go through malolactic conversion
* many are aged on lees
* many are bottle in the spring

Question 25

Is chaptalization permitted for white wine production in **Loire**?

Answer 25

Only in certain years and under certain conditions.

Question 26

Which is the principal grape variety used for dessert wines in **Loire**?

Answer 26

**Chenin Blanc**; the grapes must be overripe or infected with botrytis. Other grapes used in specific **AOC**s are: * **Malvoisie** (Pinot Gris) * **Romorantin**

Question 27

What methods are used for sweet wines post fermentation?

Answer 27

* A few producers age some of their sweet wines in wood, very little new oak is used. The slight oxidation that results from old oak adds complexity to the wine. * Simple sweet wines are bottle quickly after fermentation to preserve the fruit flavours. * Great wines spend time (8 months to several years) aging in the cellar before bottling.

Question 28

How are roses in **Loire** produced?

Answer 28

* Direct press * *Saignee* Off-dry rose from **Anjou-Saumur**, fermentation is stopped by chilling to retain some sweetness.

Question 29

How are red wines produced in **Loire**?

Answer 29

* Red grapes are destemmed * Maceration for 1-4 weeks * Fermentation in vats or barrels * malolactic conversion is encouraged to reduce acidity & impart a more supple mouthfeel * Some **Gamay** undergoes semi-carbonic maceration

Question 30

Is chaptalization permitted for red wine production in **Loire**?

Answer 30

This is prohibited in certain **AOC**s.

Question 31

How are the sparkling wines of **Loire** produced?

Answer 31

*Methode traditionnelle* (mainly)

Question 32

What percentage of wine produced in the **Loire** are **AOC**, **IGP**, or **Vin de France**?

Answer 32

* **83.5% AOC**: In a wide range of styles. * **9%** **IGP** * **7.5%** **Vins sans IG** (**Vin de France**)

Question 33

What is the largest regional **IGP**s in **Loire**?

Answer 33

**Val de Loire IGP** (formerly known as **Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France**) The majority of production is white.