![]() Of course, humans have come along and complicated the wine map with 87 appellations that, depending on which side of the cellar door you’re on, create a compelling mosaic of specific wines or raise a wall of incomprehensibility. These are the unifying natural factors that make the Loire such a special place. If a vineyard area deserves to be called pastoral, this is it. The countryside is beautiful-wide expanses of vines, gentle slopes, grand castles and ancient cities, all dominated by the rivers and the milky blue light of the summer sky. ![]() Vines can really only grow here because of the river and its tributaries, which raise the temperature just those few vital degrees and ensure long, leisurely autumn days for the harvest. The Loire is a land of moderation: It’s cold in the winter, and never gets super hot in the summer. That consistency of character is remarkable when you consider that the Loire follows a 630-mile course from a source near Beaujolais to the Atlantic Ocean. There is no such thing as a heavy Loire wine, nor a high-alcohol Loire wine. But Loire wines have lightness, airiness and freshness that put a spring in the taste buds of those who love powerful Rhônes or elegant Burgundies. ![]() ![]() That’s a serious assertion, considering the counter-claims of so many other French wine regions. And it is the home of some of the most delicious, delectable, enjoyableFrench wines. #DrJSabbatical,39,Adriatics,4,Africa,12,Americas,55,Argentina,7,Asia,41,Asia Pacific,25,AUNZ,21,Australia,13,Austria,5,Baltics,4,Barcelona,1,Belfast,1,Belgium,13,Berlin,3,Best of,372,Beyond Dublin,34,Bologna,3,Boston,2,Brazil,1,Bruges,2,Brussels,2,Bucharest,2,Budapest,1,Buffalo,3,Bulgaria,2,California,17,Cambodia,6,Canary Islands,2,Canterbury,2,Cardiff,1,Central America,3,Central Europe,69,Chile,7,China,5,Christmas Market,4,Copenhagen,1,Cork,3,Costa Brava,3,Costa Rica,2,Croatia,1,Cyprus,1,Czech Republic,2,Denmark,2,Dresden,1,Dublin,46,Dusseldorf,1,Eastern Europe,8,Edinburgh,3,El Calafate,1,England,20,Essen,1,Estonia,1,Europe,200,Europe_Archive,3,Faversham,1,Featured,5,Financial District,1,Finland,3,Fisherman's Wharf,1,Flanders,1,Florida,3,France,16,Frankfurt,1,Galway,2,Gdansk,1,Germany,18,Girona,1,Granada,1,Greece,5,Greece and Cyprus,6,Hamburg,1,Hangzhou,1,Hanoi,3,HCMC,2,Helsinki,1,Ho Chi Minh City,2,Hobart,1,Hoi An,2,Hungary,1,Hurling,1,Hyderabad,2,Iceland,4,India,5,Ireland,88,Ireland & UK,118,Ireland Road Trips,16,Italy,13,Itinerary,3,Jackson Square,1,Japan,12,Kaunas,1,Kilkenny,1,Kuala Lumpur,1,Kyoto,1,Languedoc,2,Lanzarote,2,Latvia,1,Leipzig,1,Liechtenstein,1,Lima,1,Limerick,1,Lisbon,11,Lithuania,2,Ljubljana,1,Lloret de Mar,1,London,11,Los Angeles,2,Louisiana,1,Lucerne,1,Luxembourg,2,Machu Picchu,1,Madeira,3,Malaga,1,Malaysia,1,Malta,1,Marrakech,1,Marrakesh,1,Massachusetts,2,Mendoza,1,Menton,1,Miami,1,Midwest,3,Modena,2,Monaco,1,Montpellier,1,Morocco,1,Muenster,1,Munich,1,Naples,1,Netherlands,3,New England,3,New Orleans,1,New York,10,New Zealand,8,Nice,2,Noe Valley,1,Nordics,17,Norrkoping,1,North America,48,North Beach,1,Northern Ireland,1,Norway,5,Nuremberg,2,Oakland,1,Ollantaytambo,1,Osaka,1,Palafrugell,1,Panama,1,Paris,1,Parma,2,Patagonia,3,Pennsylvania,6,Perth,1,Peru,5,Philadelphia,1,Pingyao,1,Piran,1,Pittsburgh,5,Poland,8,Porto,1,Portugal,25,Potrero Hill,1,Prague,1,Puerto Natales,2,Punta Arenas,1,Queensland,1,Recent,50,Regensburg,1,Reykjavik,1,Riga,1,Rio de Janeiro,1,Rochester,1,Romania,3,Rotterdam,1,Rovinj,1,Russia,2,San Francisco,5,San Sebastian,1,Santiago,1,Scandinavia,9,Scotland,5,Seattle,3,Segovia,1,Seoul,2,SF - Further Afield,11,Sicily,3,Siem Reap,2,Singapore,2,Sligo,3,Slovakia,1,Slovenia,2,South Africa,1,South America,18,South Beach,1,South Korea,2,Southeast Europe,14,Southern Europe,55,Spain,16,St.The Loire is the garden of France, the land of castles, the place where the purest French is spoken. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |