A few day ago Edible Skinny was lucky enough to attend
“Spring To Loire 2016,” a palate delighting introduction to the Loire Valley
Wines at SmogShoppe courtesy of the amazing and talented Allison Levine of
Please the Palate.
The Loire Valley is located in the heart of France. It is bisected by the bountiful Loire River,
which is the longest river in France flowing through most of the country before
finishing at the Atlantic Ocean. The
Valley is known as the “Garden of France,” due to the abundance of vineyards,
fruit orchards, and fields which line the riverbanks; for centuries the valley
supplied most of the food to the city of Paris. On the architectural side the region is studded
with over a thousand jeweled chateaux varying from early Medieval to Renaissance
in style. And area of sophistication, the Loire Valley was the birthplace of
the French language (and for this reason its residents speak the purest form of
this romance language).
The Loire Valley Wines region includes 87 wine appellations
including Sancerre, Quincy, Pouilly-Fumé, Coteaux de Saumur, Crémant, and Anjou. It has a long history of winemaking dating
back to the 1st century. In
the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed
wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux.
This area is best known for crisp dry white wines,
including Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, and Sauvignon Blanc (those from Sancerre
wine appellation are considered the world’s most prestigious). The region also produces fruity red wines
from Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Loire
Valley also offers dry and off-dry rose, sparkling wines (Crémant from the Loire is the second
largest sparkling wine producer in France after Champagne), and dessert
wines. Overall wines from this region are
known to be made of moderate alcohol, strong acidity making them ideal food
wines, and excellent value for their price point.
While at “Spring to Loire” I tried a lot of white wine
(a lot, a lot, for someone who likes to partake in a good Cabernet in front of
a fireplace). And truthfully most of
them were too acidic for my palate. But
luckily Edible Skinny’s friends over at Pasternak Wine Imports had a few tricks
up their sleeve!
One of my favorites was Pasternak’s Domaine de La
Perriére 2014 from the AOC Sancerre region; a crisp Sauvignon Blanc that was
the perfect balance of freshness and depth allowing my taste buds to conjure up
images of white flowers and lemon zest.
And surprisingly enough my other favorite bottle was a dessert wine (I
know, crazy!!!). Pasternak’s Chateau de
Mulonniére from the ACO Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu sur Layon 2014 was a delicately
sweet Chenin Blanc with hints of toasted pear and apricot. And with a price point of $17.99 it’s an
absolute steal for an after dinner wine!
So here’s to life being delicious, exploring the wines
of the Loire Valley, and all your moments being postcard worthy!
No comments:
Post a Comment