The Loire Valley is a wine region that has the privilege of producing a wide variety of both red and white wines. It’s therefore quite the treat for food and wine pairing experts! In this article, you will find a few suggestions for which wine to open according to the meal you’re planning.

Sparkling, king of aperitifs

Champagne is not the only sparkling wine to start a meal with. The heart of sparkling wine production is in Vouvray, Montlouis and Saumur. The first two appellations produce better quality wines, with cuvées traditionally made from Chenin Blanc, the iconic grape variety of the region. A few producers stand out for their meticulous work: the cuvée “Triple Zéro” from Jacky Blot (La Taille aux Loups), or the vintage “Réserve” from Philippe Foreau (Clos Naudin). These very dry wines pair perfectly with fish and shellfish tapas or cold meats and rillettes.

Muscadet, prince of shellfish

The poor reputation of this appellation is now thankfully fading away. Over the last 10 years, tremendous progress has been made and great wines are emerging from producers like Jo Landron, Jérôme Bretaudeau, Domaine de L’Écu, Domaine Bonnet-Huteau. Their tautness pairs nicely with oysters, seafood or white fish like sole, turbot or John Dory.

Sancerre, go for goats cheese

Wines from the Sancerre region (Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Pouilly-Fumé) are all made from the same grape: Sauvignon Blanc, which gives very aromatic and dry wines, that have to be carefully paired. The perfect strike is with smoked salmon (or other smoked fish), slightly spicy dishes (ginger, light curry), or roasted poultry. But, the greatest pairing is with any goat cheese, as long as it is slightly dry or ripened, like the neighbouring cheese from the Loire region called Crottin de Chavignol.

Multitasking dry Chenin

Dry Chenin is the most common white wine from the Loire. Characterised by a pleasant acidity and a crystal-clear colour, dry Chenin Blanc wines are produced in Vouvray, Montlouis, Saumur, Anjou or Savennières. In that respect, they are superb wines to pair with food, as the acidity has an important refreshing role during meals. These wines will go easily with fresh-water fish, fresh salmon, seafood, roasted poultry and several cheeses.

Semi-dry Chenin with spicy food

These wines are slightly sweet (between 10 to 30 grams of residual sugar, in most cases), but counterbalanced with the natural acidity from the Chenin avoiding excessive sweetness and heaviness. They brilliantly underline spicy dishes (poultry or fish tajines, Thai food), roasted poultry, dried fruit stuffing (apricot), but also blue cheese or apple and pear deserts (Tarte Tatin).

Sweet Chenin, fresh sugar

Sweet Chenin wines are a bit more difficult to appreciate over meals. They have 100 grams of residual sugar and are produced in appellations like Vouvray, Montlouis, Bonnezeaux, Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume. You can adapt your favourite pairings with Sauternes to these sweet Chenin wines, although the latter are a bit fresher than their Bordeaux cousins. They will smoothly pair with foie gras, blue cheese, fruit desserts (Tarte Tatin, fruit salad, apricot or mango tart), more surprisingly but very successfully with spicy food, especially when it is sweet and sour.

Reds are classic

Most Loire red wines are made with Cabernet Franc, which is also a grape variety used in wines from Bordeaux, like those from Saint-Emilion. The main red Loire appellations are Chinon, Saumur-Champigny, Saumur, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Anjou. Winegrowers can produce two types of wines. Some are fruity and easy-to-drink, not matured for a very long time, and these pair well with cold or grilled meats (like barbecues). Then, there are the denser wines which have a greater ageing potential (10 to 20 years), as they are matured in wooden barrels. Red meats go gracefully with such wines.

Sancerre red wines are distinctive, as they are made with Pinot Noir and resemble light Burgundian wines. They can be enjoyed with white meats such as veal, porc, poultry or cold meats.

Fancy trying a Loire Valley wine pairing? Browse all Loire wines currently for sale on iDealwine