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Loire Valley wine producer Louis-Jean Sylvost, of Chateau de la Roché, in London this week aiming to charm the Brits |
Loire and order? The French on a mission
They’re hugely popular and widely available across the Channel, but wines from the ‘French Nile’ take a little more finding over here
LOIRE wines are big sellers in Paris, but often under-rated and unobtainable in London.
Wine-makers from the valley journeyed to London this week as part of an ongoing campaign to raise the profile of the region’s many wines.
The Loire is France’s greatest river. Wine writer and broadcaster Andrew Jefford calls it the “French Nile”. Along its banks lies one of the world’s greatest and oldest wine regions.
More than 70 areas produce a mind-boggling variety of individualistic wines. They include red, white, rosé and sparkling with flavours ranging from lusciously sweet to bone dry. The warmer summers of the past few years have ensured well-balanced wines with less acidity than was normal in the past. The result is dry, lean, elegant wines that are ideal for summer drinking.
Eighty per cent of the Loire’s wine is sold in France. The remaining 20 per cent has a worldwide market and there is a lot of competition among wine-buyers for the best-known wines.
Bargain hunters should ignore the celebrated areas and look for wines from the lesser districts. However, it can be difficult to find the less famous Loire wines in London.
Nicolas, the French wine chain, lists 88 Loire wines on its French language website, many costing only a few euros.
Back in London, Sainsbury and Tesco seem to stock only a handful, mainly Sancerre and Muscadet, with a cheap Anjou Blanc thrown in for good measure.
Royal warrant holders Berry Brothers and Rudd – based in St James’s – offer a larger selection, but most of them cost serious money.
Waitrose, as usual, deserves a mention with 18 whites and six reds. Specialist retailer Majestic has around 40, but almost half their list comes from only three areas – Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and Muscadet.
They also stock a Chenin Blanc (£7.99) from the tiny Jasnieres area – the Loire’s most northerly vineyard.
Muscadet is probably the best known of the Loire wines, with Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé the most highly regarded.
In a world of international clone wines, Muscadet is an original. Produced from the Melon Blanc grape, it is dry and can be extremely cheap, costing from just over £2 a bottle. Good-quality versions, usually labelled ‘sur lie’ and costing £4 to £6, offer an excellent accompaniment to simple seafood dishes. Practically every retail outlet selling wine will sell Muscadet.
Sauvignon Blanc is the grape of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé and a bottle will usually cost over £8. Both are dry and extremely good with seafood.
There are discounted bottles on sale. Majestic wine shops have a Pouilly Fumé, les Ferees, which appears to be permanently discounted – reduced from £8.99 to £5.99. Like Muscadet, both these Loire Sauvignons often suffer a decline in quality due to over-production.
A better bet for quality and good value is the Sauvignon de Touraine area. Waitrose stock an own-label version at £4.99 for 75cl.
For those who prefer red wines, the Loire has some beauties, produced from Gamay (the Beaujolais grape), Pinot Noir (the Burgundy grape) and Cabernet Franc (the Loire’s own grape). The latter, currently on the road to international wine stardom, has its spiritual home in selected areas along the region’s riverbanks.
As with Loire whites, Waitrose shines again with its red, Cabernet Franc-based Anjou Villages at £7.99 and Saumur, Les Nivieres £4.99. Both, although red, will go well with tuna or other dark-meat fish. Majestic have Saumur Rouge 2005, a great vintage, at £4.99.
A good place to buy Loire or other lesser-known French regional wines, is Nicolas, the long-established French off-licence chain, with branches in London’s more up-market areas. They have a good range of Loire wines, including a number from the less well-known, better-value areas.
Although prices are on the high side, the managers are usually experienced, knowledgeable and French. |
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