Key Grapes
White
Melon de Bourgogne Muscadet only
Chenin Blanc Anjou-Saumur, Touraine
Sauvignon Blanc Centre-Loire, Touraine
Folle Blanche Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
Red
Cabernet Franc "Breton"; Chinon, Bourgueil
Gamay Touraine; light reds/rosés
Pinot Noir Sancerre rouge
Côt (Malbec) Touraine
4 Sub-Regions (W → E)
| Region | Climate | Key Grape |
|---|---|---|
| Pays Nantais | Maritime | Melon de Bourgogne |
| Anjou-Saumur | Transitional | Chenin Blanc |
| Touraine | Transitional | Chenin, Cab Franc |
| Centre-Loire | Continental | Sauvignon Blanc |
Tuffeau: Soft limestone; cave aging; Anjou-Saumur + Touraine
Chenin Blanc Styles
| Style | Term |
|---|---|
| Bone dry | Sec |
| Off-dry | Sec-Tendre / Demi-Sec |
| Medium sweet | Moelleux |
| Lusciously sweet | Doux / Liquoreux |
Versatility: Dry, sweet, sparkling — all from one grape
Acidity: High; allows extended aging
Pays Nantais AOCs
| AOC | Year | Grape | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscadet | 1937 | 100% Melon | Regional; lightest style |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 1936 | 100% Melon | Largest; 80% of Muscadet; best quality; 3 Crus Communaux |
| Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire | 1936 | 100% Melon | East; schist soils; more body |
| Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu | 1994 | 100% Melon | Around lake; 1 Cru Communal |
| Gros Plant du Pays Nantais | 1954 | 100% Folle Blanche | High acidity; VDQS until 2011 |
Sur Lie: On lees until bottling (Mar 1 following vintage); adds texture, slight spritz. Must be bottled in cellar of origin.
Muscadet Crus Communaux
| Cru | Year | Within |
|---|---|---|
| Clisson | 2011 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Gorges | 2011 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Le Pallet | 2011 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Goulaine | 2019 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Monnières-Saint-Fiacre | 2019 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Mouzillon-Tillières | 2019 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Château-Thébaud | 2019 | Sèvre et Maine |
| La Haye-Fouassière | 2022 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Vallet | 2022 | Sèvre et Maine |
| Corcoué | 2022 | Côtes de Grandlieu |
Anjou-Saumur AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anjou | 1936 | W, R, Rosé | Regional; Chenin whites; Cab Franc reds |
| Anjou-Villages | 1987 | Red only | Cab Franc + Cab Sauv; 46 communes |
| Anjou-Villages Brissac | 1998 | Red only | Higher quality; 10 communes |
| Savennières | 1952 | Dry white | 100% Chenin; schist; steep slopes; powerful |
| Sav. Roche aux Moines | 1952 | Dry white | Single vineyard; N. Joly biodynamic pioneer |
| Sav. Coulée de Serrant | 1952 | Dry white | Monopole (Joly); biodynamic icon |
| Coteaux du Layon | 1950 | Sweet | Chenin; botrytis; 27 communes; 6 DGCs |
| Quarts de Chaume GC | 2011 | Sweet | Grand Cru; N-facing; late harvest; min 85 g/l RS |
| Bonnezeaux | 1951 | Sweet | 3 hills; steep schist; botrytis; powerful |
Anjou Rosé AOCs
| AOC | Style | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Rosé d'Anjou | Off-dry | Grolleau primary |
| Cabernet d'Anjou | Off-dry | Cab Franc + Cab Sauv |
| Rosé de Loire | Dry | Regional; min 30% Cab |
Grolleau: High-yielding; light color; simple wines
Saumur AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saumur | 1936 | W, R, Rosé | Regional; tuffeau caves; Chenin whites |
| Saumur-Champigny | 1957 | Red only | Best Loire red AOC; 100% Cab Franc; 9 communes |
| Saumur Mousseux | 1976 | Sparkling | Traditional method; Chenin primary |
| Crémant de Loire | 1975 | Sparkling | Largest Crémant; Chenin, Chardonnay, Cab Franc |
| Coteaux de Saumur | 1962 | Sweet | Rare; Chenin; botrytis; tiny production |
Tuffeau: Soft limestone carved into caves; ideal for sparkling aging (constant temp/humidity)
Saumur-Champigny
| Grape | 100% Cabernet Franc |
| Style | Medium-bodied; violet, raspberry |
| Soil | Tuffeau limestone |
| Communes | 9 (incl. Champigny) |
| Status | Loire's most prestigious red |
Serve: Slightly cool (15-16°C)
Touraine AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Touraine | 1939 | All styles | Regional; 5 DGCs: Chenonceaux, Oisly, Azay-le-Rideau, Amboise, Mesland |
| Vouvray | 1936 | W + Spark | 100% Chenin; all sweetness levels; tuffeau caves |
| Montlouis-sur-Loire | 1938 | W + Spark | South bank "mirror" of Vouvray; lighter; sand/gravel |
| Chinon | 1937 | W, R, Rosé | Cab Franc capital; tuffeau + gravel terraces; age-worthy |
| Bourgueil | 1937 | R, Rosé | North bank; Cab Franc; tuffeau + gravel; firmer than Chinon |
| Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil | 1937 | R, Rosé | Lighter; sandy soils; drink younger |
| Cheverny | 1993 | W, R, Rosé | Blends; no Chenin; Sauvignon white |
| Cour-Cheverny | 1993 | White only | 100% Romorantin (only AOC) |
Vouvray Styles
| Style | RS (g/l) |
|---|---|
| Sec | 0-8 |
| Sec-Tendre | 8-20 |
| Demi-Sec | 20-40 |
| Moelleux | 40-80 |
| Doux | >80 |
| Pétillant | Lightly sparkling |
| Mousseux | Fully sparkling |
Centre-Loire AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 1936 | W, R, Rosé | Most famous; Sauv Blanc; Pinot Noir reds; Kimmeridgian marl |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 1937 | White only | 100% Sauv Blanc; "fumé" = gunflint/smoke; silex soils |
| Pouilly-sur-Loire | 1937 | White only | 100% Chasselas; declining; same zone as Pouilly-Fumé |
| Menetou-Salon | 1959 | W, R, Rosé | Sancerre alternative; Sauv Blanc + Pinot Noir |
| Quincy | 1936 | White only | Oldest Loire Sauv Blanc AOC; sand/gravel |
| Reuilly | 1937 | W, R, Rosé | Sauv Blanc whites; Pinot Noir/Gris reds + rosé |
Silex: Flint nodules in clay; gives "gunflint" minerality to Pouilly-Fumé
Sancerre Soils
| Soil | Style |
|---|---|
| Terres Blanches | Kimmeridgian marl; elegant |
| Caillottes | Limestone pebbles; aromatic |
| Silex | Flint; gunflint/smoke notes |
Red Sancerre: 100% Pinot Noir; 20% of production; gaining quality
Sparkling Loire
| Crémant de Loire | Largest Crémant AOC |
| Method | Traditional (2nd in bottle) |
| Lees aging | Min 12 months |
| Grapes | Chenin, Chard, Cab Franc |
Other: Vouvray, Montlouis, Saumur Mousseux all use traditional method.
Caves: Tuffeau = perfect sparkling storage
History & Key Facts
| 6th c | Monasteries establish vineyards |
| 1154 | Henry II (Anjou) → England |
| 1709 | Great Frost; Melon replants Nantes |
| 1936 | First AOCs (Muscadet, Vouvray, etc.) |
| 2000 | UNESCO World Heritage |
| 2011 | First Muscadet Crus Communaux |
1709 Frost: Destroyed vineyards; Melon survived (Burgundy origin)
Sweet Wine AOCs
| AOC | Method |
|---|---|
| Coteaux du Layon | Botrytis / late harvest |
| Quarts de Chaume | Botrytis; Grand Cru |
| Bonnezeaux | Botrytis; 3 hills |
| Vouvray Moelleux | Late harvest |
| Coteaux de l'Aubance | Semi-sweet Chenin |
All Chenin: High acidity balances sweetness; ages decades
Top Exam Points — Memorize These!
Muscadet Sur Lie rulesOn lees until bottling (Mar 1+); bottled in cellar of origin; 10 Crus Communaux (2011-2022)
Chenin Blanc = Pineau de la LoireAll styles: dry, sweet, sparkling; high acidity; Vouvray, Savennières, Coteaux du Layon
Quarts de Chaume = only Loire GCSweet Chenin; N-facing slopes; late harvest; min 85 g/l RS; 2011
Saumur-Champigny = best Loire red100% Cabernet Franc; tuffeau limestone; 9 communes; violet + raspberry
Pouilly-Fumé = gunflint/smoke100% Sauvignon Blanc; silex (flint) soils; NOT Pouilly-Fuissé (Burgundy)
Cour-Cheverny = 100% RomorantinOnly AOC for this grape; François I planted from Burgundy 1519
Crémant de Loire = largest CrémantAnjou-Saumur + Touraine; traditional method; 12 mo lees; Chenin primary
Savennières Coulée de SerrantMonopole (Nicolas Joly); biodynamic icon; 100% Chenin; steep schist