Celebrate Bastille Day with Wines from the Centre-Loire

The summer I spent as an exchange student in Paris was incroyable;  I visited my first French wine country, the Loire Valley, and watched the Bastille Day parade in the City of Light. You can probably guess what my July 14 tradition is…pop the cork of a wine from the Loire Valley and celebrate all things French!

How timely that I attended a Master Class Seminar at Kinmont Restaurant in Chicago just weeks before Bastille Day.  The Centre-Loire Wine Board gathered sommeliers, distributors, importers, and wine writers for an educational presentation, luncheon, and tasting of ten wines from the region led by Benoit Roumet, Director.   What a wonderful day spent learning while sipping and savoring such special wines along with delicious fare.

Roumet reminded us that the Loire Valley includes four regions: Nantes, Anjou and Saumur, Touraine, and Centre-Loire, each producing wines specific to their terroir, which is, in my opinion, the foundation of each wine’s profile.  You may find aromatic, crisp Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc, fruit forward Pinot Noir and Gamay, earthy Cabernet Franc and Côt, or rosé from Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, and more from this expansive, beautiful region of France.

Roumet invited us to walk us through the vineyards of the Centre-Loire  located in the geographical center of France.  He shared that the Centre-Loire is the “most extensive, diversified, most original vineyards of France.” It is the home of Sauvignon Blanc produced in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, areas that “set the international standard for the grape”. Wonderful examples of Sauvignon Blanc are found in the other areas of the Centre-Loire, too, such as Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, and Coteaux de Giennois.  Delicious reds and rosé from Pinot Noir are produced in Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Reuilly while Coteaux du Giennois and Chateaumeillant produce reds and rosés from Pinot Gris, Gamay and Pinot Noir blend.  Rarely is oak used resulting in wines with a fresh, crisp profile and mouthwatering acidity. Confused?  Refer to the website of the Centre-Loire, check out the map below, find your nearest wine shop, and begin tasting!! And read on…

To help make learning about the Central-Loire a bit easier, following are a few facts (I know someone will be interested in the climate and soil due to their impact on the wines) that may give you more insight into this fascinating area and will guide you to making choices for the perfect addition to your next dinner party, casual gathering on the porch, or pre-dinner sipping while you create the loveliest of French dishes for Bastille Day.

*All areas of the Central-Loire are located in a climate zone with continental characteristics of cold winters and hot summers; some areas are more temperate than others.  Rainfall averages around 32 inches per year yet there is a relatively dry growing period.  Frost is a threat in some areas.

*Soils consist of clay, flint, limestone, schist, white chalk, marl, sand, gravel, Kimmeridgian clay or a combination.  Vineyards in the eastern most region are atop soils from the Jurassic period; oyster traces are found.

*White Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc, remember?) pairs well with goat cheese, shellfish, and sushi, reds (Pinot Noir) pair with grilled salmon, roast chicken, and savory mushroom pizza, and a rosé pairs with charcuterie and a Nicoise salad with anchovies and more.

*Pouilly Fumé/Pouilly-Sur-Loire produce white wines of Sauvignon Blanc only.  Blanc Fumé is the local name for Sauvignon Blanc.  Fumé is French for smoke; there are smoky notes found in aromas of wine from flinty soil found in the area.  Pair the interesting wines from Pouilly Fumé with grilled fish, grilled scallops, roast pork, goat and Edam cheeses and those from Pouilly-Sur-Loire with fried shrimp, charcuterie, and pasta salads.

*Located directly southwest of Sancerre is Menetou-Salon, a small area which has seen growth in the last twenty years and produces reds, whites, and rosés.  A white will be lovely with a potato-goat cheese tart, a rosé with ceviche, and a red from Menetou-Salon will be that much more luscious with roast chicken with shitake mushroom sauce.

*Quincy was the first appellation created in the Loire, after Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  This region produces only white wines exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp whites from Quincy pair well with spaghetti carbonara or whole fish with potatoes and thyme.

*Known for its refreshing Sauvignon Blanc is Reuilly which also produces reds from Pinot Noir and rosés from Pinot Gris.   Pair a white with a fried fish sandwich, a red with grilled vegetable pasta with cumin or a rosé with a Boston lettuce salad with mint and garlic dressing.

*Coteaux du Giennois, found at the eastern edge of the Loire Valley, northeast of Sancerre, produces white and red wines with a small amount of dry rosés.  Delicious pairings include asparagus with goat cheese sauce with a white, mixed mushroom stroganoff with a red, and Thai spare ribs with a rosé.

*Vines have been grown in tiny Châteaumeillant since the 5^th century but it was granted AOC status in 2010.  Specializing in reds and rosés, you may pair a red with salmon steak with red wine butter and a rosé with grilled shrimp with chili, cilantro, and lime.

If you aren’t yet salivating for a glass of wine from the Centre-Loire paired with one of the incredible dishes, perhaps you will after reading this!  The Kinmont created a delectable three course luncheon to pair with ten wines from the region.

After the amuse bouche of bright, fresh raw oysters, we were treated to a smooth lobster burrata salad with sweet miso vinaigrette, savory linguini and clams with mussels, prawns, scallops, and uni butter, then rich roasted pheasant with bone marrow stuffing, black truffle-confit, and pheasant risotto.

If you are ready to start tasting wines from the Central-Loire, you may want to try a few of my favorites from that lovely day at the Kinmont.  If you can’t find any of these choices, ask the expert at your wine shop to suggest wines from that area that are similar. And have a fabulous Bastille Day!

Domaine Delaporte “Cul de Beaujeu” Sancerre Rouge 2012 – 100% Pinot Noir with light, cherry aromas and earth, herbs, cherry, and spice on the palate leading to a long finish.

Domaine de Reuilly, Pinot Gris Rosé 2014 – Light in color, tart, light citrus were apparent on the nose and palate. This was a fabulous pairing with the raw oysters.

Sylvain Bailly, Quincy Beaucharme 2014 – Subtle aromas of grapefruit and citrus with bright acidity on the palate was a “wow” pairing with the mussels, prawns, scallops and uni butter.

Domaine Cherrier, Sancerre 2014 – Grassy, grapefruity, and tart with mouthwatering acidity, herbal notes, and a long finish, I could drink this fabulous wine on any occasion!

Chavet Fils Menetou Salon, Exception Blanc 2012 – I loved the herbs on the nose and palate.  Combined with flint like minerality and a lasting finish, I can’t wait to find this wine in my neighborhood wine shop.

Cheers to wine from the Centre-Loire ~ Cindy