Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Lazy Loire

On Tuesday, our house guests and we drove over to Montlouis and Vouvray on the Loire. These two towns are known for their particular appellations within the Touraine wine region. They make white wines with the chenin blanc grape.

The Loire river at Montlouis, a wine town on the left bank. Vouvray is a few kilometers down river (toward the left in this photo) on the right bank.

The variety of wines runs from dry (brut or sec) to sweet (demi-sec or moelleux) and includes both sparkling and still wines. We visited three producers: Chidaine in Montlouis, Huet and Aubert in Vouvray.

Aubert is one of our favorites for sparkling Vouvray. We discovered them in 2000 when we were here on vacation. It's totally unpretentious, welcoming and friendly, and the prices are very low considering the quality of the wines. We now visit them at least once a year to stock up on their wines for the holiday season.

4 comments:

  1. We had a sparkling Vouvray to celebrate after the elections. First time I ever saw/bought/tasted a bottle. And I was very pleased. I completely agree with your assessment. I going right out to pick some up. Thanks for reminding me.

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  2. That photo has some amazing Turner/Constable/Monet qualities about. Tres cool!

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  3. papa, I think Vouvray is the closest sparkling to Champagne, in terms of taste and feel, but much more economical.

    anne, thanks!

    evol, the light on the Loire is always amazing, no matter what the weather is doing.

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