Loire Valley

The Loire River is one of the most important rivers in France.  Over the course of its 650 miles, the Loire River Valley is the longest winegrowing region in the world.  The river begins in the mountains of the Ardeche in south-central France, before flowing gently north and then west, flowing out to the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of France.  Many of France’s Kings had built chateaux’s along the river earning it the nickname of the Royal valley.  In fact, at one point, the Loire Valley was the seat of Royal power in France. 

The Bay Area is experiencing an unseasonable hot spell.  And here, like most places suffering under the unrelenting rays of our nearest star, rosé is king. 

But not just any rosé.  Survey the bottles of blush pinch-hitting for rouge in wine enthusiasts’ lineups these days, and you’ll find a predominance of wine from Southern France.  And rightly so – no region does rosé better than the appellations bordering the sun-lit Cote d’Azur.  But Provence is not the only show in town.  Other regions, not only in France but also in Spain, Germany, and Italy, produce delightful examples of warm weather’s red-substitute.