Val de Loire

Hierarchie of appellation of origin wines in France :

AOC, or Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wines, belong to the highest category of all the great wines. This appellation indicates a geographically defined and limited area (region, town(s) or village(s)). To be awarded the AOC label the wine must be produced according to "local, trusted and constant" customs, from vines which are clearly identified and recognised throughout defined areas, limited to a maximum harvest per hectare; this is to ensure that the juice from the harvested grapes is typical. Moreover, it must be made into wine using traditional local know-how.

The many aspects of the Loire Valley are resplendent in a unique type of light, a subtle blend of sky and water that makes the Garden of France flourish here. In this garden, vines sit on hillsides and small valleys, from the confines of Sancerre to the Loire estuary, reeling off a stream of appellations. A special harmony clearly exists between seasons, when the summer is hot and temperate and the winter is mild, and between a pleasant and a gentle way of life and wine-producing traditions that reflect the meticulousness of the winemakers and their love of wine.

The varied soil in the Loire Valley - from argillaceous, sandy soil in the Chinonais to the freestones of the Saumurois, via the shales of the Anjou and the gravel and limestone of the Touraine - are the very soil types which are reputedly some of the most suitable for growing vines.

The Loire Valley has four vineyards, approximately 70 AOCs and Vins de Pays [Country Wines] from the Garden of France. To learn about the various soil types in this region, we will take a trip up the Loire and describe the characteristics of the vines, soil and climate.