The Loire – France's longest river – covers so much. It runs from central France, alongside oak forests that supply the barrel industry, past the great Sauvignon Blanc regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and on to flow west, through the Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc heartlands of Anjou, Vouvray and Saumur before reaching the Atlantic near Nantes and the wine region of Muscadet.

Wine-Searcher editorial

Last updated 04-Jul-2024

The Loire Valley boasts a huge number of spectacular castles and palaces; here the Château de Saumur stands guard over the river | @Alexander Demyanenko / www.shutterstock.com

Table of Contents

• Loire white wine grapes
• Loire red wine grapes
• Loire wine subregions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Most Popular Loire Wine

The Loire Valley is a key wine region in western France. It follows the course of the Loire river on its long journey through the heart of France, from the inland hills of Auvergne to the plains on the French Atlantic coast near Nantes (Muscadet country).

As the third-largest appellation in France (after Bordeaux and Burgundy), the Loire Valley is highly significant in terms of both quantity and quality wine production. The region generates vast quantities (around four hundred million liters each year) of everyday wines, as well as some of France's very finest and highest quality bottles. 

Diversity is another of the region's key strengths. The wine styles made here range from the light, tart Muscadet and sweet, honeyed Bonnezeaux to the sparkling whites of Vouvray and juicy, tannic reds of Chinon and Saumur. It is quite telling that this brief sketch of the region's wines does not even make reference to the two most famous Loire Valley wines of all – Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

Loire white wine grapes

White wines are clearly the Loire Valley's strong suit, and account for the vast majority of production. A significant proportion of these are produced under IGP titles. The Loire Valley has four IGPs, the most common of which is the region-wide IGP Loire (formerly dubbed Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France).

The key white-wine grape varieties used to make Loire Valley whites are Sauvignon Blanc (generally associated with the central Loire around Sancerre, but found throughout), Chenin Blanc (often found in the Loire Valley proper, around Tours, Saumur and Anjou), and Melon de Bourgogne (the grape behind Muscadet). More popular than traditional, Chardonnay is also encountered, mainly in IGP wines.

Sun-kissed Sauvignon Blanc | © Patjo / shutterstock.com

Loire red wine grapes

Loire reds are of increasingly high quality, and of increasing importance as consumer preferences continue to move toward red wines. Although they offer less stylistic diversity than the whites, a light-bodied, fruity Gamay from the Fiefs Vendeens is a nevertheless quite different from a spicy, tannic Bourgueil (from Cabernet Franc).

The number one red wine variety is unquestionably Cabernet Franc – the grape behind the reds of Chinon, Saumur and Bourgueil. Lighter-bodied, less "serious" wines are made from Pinot Noir, Malbec (known here as Côt) and Gamay.

Ripe Cabernet Franc grapes in a vineyard in Ontario, Canada | ©Chiyacat / www.shutterstock.com

Perhaps due to the relative closeness to Burgundy, Pinot Noir is the major red grape of Sancerre (although red Sancerre is rare). Further south, towards central France, is Saint-Pourcain, which often incorporates some Gamay.

Loire wine subregions

With such a wide repertoire of wines stretched out over so many miles, it has become necessary to divide the Loire into a series of smaller regions. Pays Nantais, Anjou, Saumur, Touraine and the various appellations collectively referred to as "Upper Loire". Little-known (and often forgotten) are the wines from the river's uppermost stretches, including Saint-Pourcain, in the Auvergne department.

Each of these subregions has its own particular specialty. Pays Nantais is effectively synonymous with dry, crisp whites, as epitomized by Muscadet. Anjou specializes in Chenin Blanc in both a sweet style from Coteaux du Layon and a dry from  Savennieres.Touraine continues the Chenin Blanc theme (mostly dry here though) and complements it with dry, Cabernet Franc-based reds.

The Upper Loire, home of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, is undoubtedly Sauvignon Blanc country, and stands in stark contrast to the red-wine specialist regions further upriver, where Gamay and Pinot Noir are dominant.

Sancerre: King of the Hill | © Andre Quinou / shutterstock.com

The region's vast size makes it impossible to sum up its terroir in any succinct way, hence the 51 appellations that can be found throughout. The relatively continental climate in the river's upper stretches becomes decidedly maritime as the river approaches the Atlantic coast.

The soils also vary considerably as the river drops gently down through the countryside. The hard granite in the Cotes du Forez is strikingly different from the flint and limestone around Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire, and even more so from the soft, crumbly "tuffeau" of Anjou.

Although often overshadowed by France's more prestigious regions – most obviously Bordeaux to the south – the Loire Valley has played a vital role in French wine history for many centuries. The region's fortunes have waned in the past few decades, mostly because modern wine consumers and critics show a clear preference for heavy, robust reds – the only style of wine the Loire does not produce.