Give in to the lure of the Loire

Get into the holiday mood with some perfectly light, bright wines in the Loire valley or at home, writes JOHN WILSON

PRODUCERS ALL OVER Europe are beginning to see the value of opening their doors to the public, so a visit to a winery is certainly worth considering if you plan to visit the Continent this year. It can be educational and fun, as well as providing liquid memories for drinking back at home. Just make sure they accept visitors before you knock on the door; smaller producers may be very busy tending their vines, so a phone call beforehand is a good idea.

Wine lovers fortunate enough to be holidaying in the Loire Valley this year should be in for a real treat. This is one of the great wine regions, producing just about every style of wine imaginable, including sparkling, light white, rosé, red and dessert.

Most of the wines are fresh and light, with a lovely fruitiness. So they are perfect for summer drinking. Prices usually are very reasonable as they tend to be overlooked by many wine lovers. This does not mean they are inferior in any way. This region produces some truly great wines.

The Loire is the longest river in France at more than 1,000 kilometres. The wine part can be neatly divided into three sections, starting with Muscadet, which is wrapped around the coastal city of Nantes in Brittany. Muscadet has gone through something of a revival and now makes some really good light crisp whites, which are perfect with the local fruits de mer.

Moving inland, the central Loire is the most interesting part for oenophiles, with a bewildering number of wines, largely based on chenin blanc for dry, sweet and sparkling wines, and cabernet franc for reds and the odd rosé.

Simple vins de pays, Saumur, Anjou and Touraine are all worth trying, but Vouvray, Savennières, Chinon, and Bourgueil can be world class.

The best sweet wines of Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume are an exquisite balancing act of sweetness and acidity and should not be missed. The central Loire is known as the Garden of France because of its abundance of orchards, vegetables and of course vines. The countryside is picturesque and dotted with beautiful, historic villages and some very impressive chateaux.

To the east lie the twin towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé and the lesser-known areas of Reuilly, Quincy and Menetou-Salon, all of which produce crisp Sauvignon-based white wines. The first two will be familiar to most, but the latter can reveal some very keenly priced gems.

In my experience, French supermarkets tend to offer very cheap inferior wines. It is certainly worth looking for a proper wine shop in your local town or village, even if you don’t have time to visit a producer.

A little research before you leave Ireland will pay dividends. My favourite reference books are The World Atlas of Wine, which has some great maps, The New France by Andrew Jefford, or The Wines of France by Jacqueline Friedrich, all of which are good for any region of France. Friedrich is an American who lives part-time in the Loire, and is a font of knowledge on the area. She has also written The Wine and Food of the Loire, which is available from her website, and organises trips, visits to vineyards and other events. See jacquelinefriedrich.comfor details.

Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Le Bois de la Tour, Haut Poiteau, 12.5%, €9.99The Loire is full of good inexpensive everyday white wines. This is a refreshing light Sauvignon with attractive, lively, crisp, green fruits to cushion the vibrant acidity. Drink solo or with fish dishes.

Stockists: 64 Wine, Glasthule; McHugh’s, Artane and Kilbarrack; Baggot Street Wines; The Vintry, Rathgar, Dublin 6; Next Door Stores; O’Donovans, Cork; Martin’s, Fairview; Morton’s, Galway and Ranelagh; Holland’s of Bray; Brady’s of Shankhill; Drink Store, Manor Street, Dublin 7.

Touraine Gamay, Bois Jacou 2010, Jean-François Mérieau, 12%, €11.95Mérieau makes a range of delicious, reasonably priced wines, including this Gamay, a variety more usually found in Beaujolais. This is a lovely, light, easy, fruity wine, with juicy red cherry fruits and no hard tannins. Perfect lunchtime drinking. Terroirs also stocks the wonderful Chardonnay from Domaine Couillard at the same price.

Stockists: Terroirs, Donnybrook, terroirs.ie.

Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Huteau Hallereau, Moulin Camus 2011, €12.95, 12%Muscadet is one of the great summer wines, light, fresh and fruity. The better examples, such as this one, have an extra depth. Soft pear fruits with a lovely touch of citrus with good bone-dry length.

Stockists: Wicklow Wine Co, wicklowwineco.ie; Redmond's of Ranelagh; Probus Wine, Oughterard, and Fenian Street, Dublin 2: Nectar Wines, Sandyford.

Touraine Cabernet 2010, Domaine de la Renaudie, 12%, €13.95I bought a half-dozen bottles of this recently and have been motoring through them at an alarming rate. This wine is light and juicy with fresh blackcurrant fruits with a tannin-free finish. It's the kind of wine that makes you want to have another sip, and then a second glass. At 12%, you can do this without any ill effects.

Stockists: thewinestore.ie; The Wicklow Arms, Delgany; On the Grapevine, Dalkey; 64 Wine, Glasthule.