Wine Essentials: Loire Valley Reds
By Tyler Balliet • Jul 30th, 2008 • Category: Features
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The Loire Valley is known as France’s Garden so it makes sense they produce some damn good wines. As far as the reds are concerned, there are very few bottles that reach what winos would call “greatness.” For us drinkers without an AMEX Black card, this is good news because it means they’re affordable.
There are some areas, such as Anjou and Touraine, that produce reds with Gamay (the same grape used in Beaujolais) but these are not heavily exported. For the bulk of the region the Cabernet Franc grape dominates. The main appellations to look for are Chinon, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny and Bourgueil. Of these Chinon is probably the most widely known and the smoothest and most consistant from year to year.
The wines vary from region to region but only subtly. All in all, they are medium bodied, dry wines with good fruit. The wines are meant to be drank when they’re young so don’t go looking for a 15 year old bottle of Chinon. Loire Valley reds are also best consumed slightly chilled, around 50 degrees, so before you crack open a bottle, throw the thing in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
These are great summer sipping wines or they’re perfect for everyday drinking. Loire Valley reds are also great with food, so order a pizza, whip up some mac and cheese, grill a hamburgers, throw together a light pasta dish and crack a bottle of Cab Franc.
Photo by Ambhoare via Flickr
Tyler Balliet is the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of The Second Glass. He likes all kinds of wine and is constantly looking for unique bottles that don't break the bank.
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