Loire Wines with Benoit Roumet
Benoit Roumet is a director of the BIVC, the regional trade body for the wines from the Central Loire Valley, a region that stretches 400km from Nante, by the Atlantic coast, to Pouilly-Fume, 200km to the south of Paris. We talk about the different grape varieties such as Muscadet, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and regions including Anjou-Saumur, Touraine and Vouvray. The main appellations in the Loire for sparkling wines are Cremant de Loire, Saumur, Touraine, Anjou and Vouvray, where all the wines are 100% Chenin Blanc but are made in a variety of styles, from dry to sweet to fizzzy.
We discuss the main grapes which are Chenin Blanc, Muscadet (also the appellation) and Sauvignon Blanc and how the grapes express themselves differently according to where in the Loire they are grown and the different soils and climates of the sub-regions. Benoit also explains how Muscadet is kept 'sur lie', or on its less, and how this give the wine additional character and texture. Although the Loire is better known for its white wines, of the reds, 52% of production is made from the Cabernet Franc grape in a variety of styles from light and fruity to those suitable for ageing. Finally we talk about Sauvignon Blanc grown in central Loire and of course famously the white grape of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume (a white only appellation).
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