FrenchDuck UK - Latest

There’s a new free map and guide available from InterLoire (the official wine body for the region) to the vineyards of the Loire Valley available to download and in English:-

The light glistening on the river and its tributaries is a wonderful sight. The cellars carved into white limestone, magical châteaux, magnificent gardens, hillsides covered in vines ; hundreds of sights that still hold the memory of kings, queens, princes and artists like Rabelais, Ronsard, Balzac, Leonardo da Vinci, and Joachim du Bellay… The Loire vineyards offer charm, grace and surprise around every corner. It is a region for good living, a valley of abundance, a source of flavourful wines and generous aromas,and we would like to share all that with you.

This wine region (which does not include other appellations which are nevertheless close to the River Loire such as Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Quincy, Menetou-Salon etc - these are all classified as “Vins du Centre” ) does cover the Loire from the Atlantic to Orleans and includes 68 separate appellations and has more than 7,000 wine producers making it France’s third most important vineyard.

For each winemaker there is a comprehensive entry - e.g. for one of our favourites, the Domaine Leduc-Frouin in Anjou:-

Domaine Leduc-Frouin
The Leduc-Frouin estate invites you to discover its wines in a guided tasting session. Guided tours upon request. Groups: tours and wine tastings, reservations necessary for meals.
Monday - Friday: 9 am -12 pm / 2 pm - 6 pm, Saturday: 2 pm - 6 pm, and mornings by appointment only.
AOC Anjou Blanc ; Anjou Gamay ; Anjou Rouge ; Anjou Villages ; Cabernet d’Anjou ; Coteaux du Layon ; Rosé d’Anjou ; Rosé de Loire ; Saumur Brut.
Antoine et Nathalie LEDUC La Seigneurie – Sousigné
T:02 41 59 42 83
info@leduc-frouin.com
www.leduc-frouin.com

This is an invaluable guide to wine touring in the region, which does offer many delights for the wine and food enthusiast and others.

Download the map and guide
For more on Domaine Leduc-Frouin see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Majestic Wine has just introduced a new section on their website entitle “Something Different”.

It’s a frequent frustration that some of our most interesting wines are the hardest to sell, simply because customers don’t instantly recognise them on the stack. For that reason I have instigated a new feature on the site in which we’ll feature interesting or new wines which might struggle to push up through all the well known names also featured on our site.

I applaud the intention, as it always disappointed me that too often customers would choose the wines they knew rather than venture into something new or different. But then I suppose we all do that from time to time, but with such a wealth of wines to choose from in the UK, you may be missing something really good.

Included in the list are some wines which are definitely not as well known as they should be, including Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc:“Made on the Mediterranean coast close to the ‘oyster’ town of Sète, Picpoul might have been (probably was) designed as the perfect foil for seafood. It is crisp and fresh, with the same prickle of acidity that characterizes Muscadet, but has an added dimension with just the merest hint of tropical fruit. Always bottled in tall green flutes, it should be served young and cold. Don’t drink it on a wet Wednesday in February, but if the sun shines this is the perfect choice.”
Bourgeuil from the Loire Valley: “Wines made from the Cabernet Franc grape can give rasping, green-flavoured, charmless wines. This however is the reverse – the very warm 2003 has softened any hard edges to give a lovely, balanced wine. Its 12.5% alcohol is low by modern standards, and the tannins have an attractive tealeaf character which is great with food. I would like to cellar this for a few years and watch it evolve.”
And a Rousanne from the Cotes de Thongue also in the Languedoc and made by Domaine Sainte Rose: “The rather bland packaging masks a high quality, interesting wine, which instantly wins over all who taste it. On the nose there is a rich, creamy complexity whilst the palate is buoyed by luxurious, peachy fruit and fresh acidity. Not all wines made by expat winemakers are special, but this is! It would be a great alternative to chardonnay, having the weight and feel of an expensive white burgundy.“