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Touraine is an ''
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
'' (AOC) in the
Loire Valley wine region in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
that produce dry, white wines and red wines rich in
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', ...
s. The AOC status was awarded by a decree of December 24, 1939 (modified by the decree of August 29, 2002). The wine-growing area extends over departments of
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it ...
,
Indre
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
and
Loir-et-Cher
Loir-et-Cher (, ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Its name is originated from two rivers which cross it, the Loir in its northern part and the Cher in its southern part. Its prefecture is Blois. The INSEE and La P ...
and comprises a total of 70 communes and it is thus a "subregional" appellation covering the same area as a number of local AOCs.
Grape varieties
The white wines are made from
Chenin blanc grapes (known locally as Pineau Blanc de la Loire), and from
Sauvignon blanc
is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
and
Arbois
Arbois () is a Commune in France, commune in the Jura (département), Jura Departments of France, department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region, eastern France. The river Cuisance passes through the town, which centres on ...
grapes. The white Touraine wines are dry, fairly firm, lively and full, and keep well when bottled. The sparkling wines are allowed to use the designation "Touraine mousse" (sparkling Touraine wine). Up to 20% of
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
grapes may be included in the mixture of varieties grown.
The red wines are produced from
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...
,
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
,
Côt
Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are ...
,
Pinot noir
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
,
Pinot Meunier,
Pinot gris
Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...
,
Pineau d'Aunis and
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th centu ...
grape varieties (Gamay is used only for wines marketed in the first year after production). These wines are flavoursome and tannic in character. Touraine wines sold in the first year of production are light and fruity, as well as rustic.
The rosé wines are made from Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon, Côt, Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot gris, Pineau d'Aunis, Gamay and
Grolleau grape varieties. These wines are dry in character.
Appellations and designation
The best known designations within Touraine AOC, and separate appellations in this subregion, are:
* Touraine: this is the appellation known simply as "Touraine" and covering the entire subregion. Its land borders the
Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
river, stretching from the
Sologne
Sologne (; ) is a natural region in Centre-Val de Loire, France, extending over portions of the departements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher. Its area is about . To its north is the river Loire, to its south the river Cher, while the districts ...
region to the borders of
Vienne
Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.[Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
* County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duk ...]
. The wine officially designated "Touraine primeur " (Touraine wine marketed in the first year after production) is made exclusively from the Gamay noir à Jus blanc grape variety.
*
Touraine-Amboise: this appellation covers ten communes located on the outskirts of
Amboise
Amboise (; ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court.
Geography
Amboise lies on the banks of the river Loire, east of Tours. It is also about away f ...
. The red and rosé wines are produced from the grape varieties,
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...
(known locally as "Breton"), Cabernet Sauvignon,
Côt
Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are ...
and Gamay noir, while the white wines (dry, medium-dry and medium-sweet) are made from
Chenin blanc (known locally as Pineau de la Loire).
* Touraine Mesland: the small village of
Mesland, which lies between Amboise and
Blois
Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.
With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...
, gives its name to red, rosé and white wines of considerable finesse produced from Gamay grapes, and to white wines produced from Chenin grapes.
* Touraine Azay-le-Rideau: located in the wine-growing area surrounding the
Château of Azay-le-Rideau, this village gives its name to white wines produced from Chenin grapes and to rosé wines produced from Chenin, Gamay and
Grolleau grapes.
INAO page on Touraine Azay-le-Rideau Rosé
/ref>
* Bourgueil
Bourgueil () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
Population
Bourgueil wine
Bourgueil is an ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for wine in the Loire Valley region, and produces primarily red wine from th ...
: lying to the north of the Loire river, between Chinon
Chinon () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
The traditional province around Chinon, Touraine, became a favorite resort of French kings and their nobles beginning in the late 15th and early 16th centuri ...
and Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
, the Bourgueil
Bourgueil () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
Population
Bourgueil wine
Bourgueil is an ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for wine in the Loire Valley region, and produces primarily red wine from th ...
region is one of the largest wine-growing areas of Touraine. This is the Cabernet Franc country, the region straddles the Touraine and Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
* County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duk ...
regions. Depending on the nature of the soil, two different kinds of wine grow alongside each other within the Bourgueil appellation area. Wines from fine gravel soils, must be drunk when very young, while wines from calcareous tuffeau soils develop their flavours and aromas a year later. Bourgueil wines age well for a very long time.
* Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil: very close to the Bourgueil wine-growing area in terms of distance, but a world away in terms of its wines, is the village of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. The wines produced here are of exceptional quality and their reputation extends far beyond France. These wines, which have very strong red fruit flavours, can be drunk in their first year, but improve with every passing year and can be kept very successfully for more than ten years.
* Chinon
Chinon () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
The traditional province around Chinon, Touraine, became a favorite resort of French kings and their nobles beginning in the late 15th and early 16th centuri ...
: these wines are often better known than the Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil wines (perhaps because the village itself is so well known), and are less fruity. The wines of Chinon are indissolubly linked to the literary output of Rabelais (a famous French Renaissance writer), the most famous person to have sung their praises.
* Vouvray
Vouvray (, , ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It is around 9 km east of the centre of Tours.
It is best known for its production of white wine, rated among the best in France.
Population
Education
Schoo ...
: another great name with an international reputation, dating from the time of Saint Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
himself, who is thought to have initiated wine-growing in this area. Balzac (a famous 19th century French novelist) pays tribute to this wine in his writing. Lying to the east of Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
and situated on the right bank of the Loire, the Vouvray
Vouvray (, , ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It is around 9 km east of the centre of Tours.
It is best known for its production of white wine, rated among the best in France.
Population
Education
Schoo ...
region produces white wines only. Some Vouvray wines are semi-sparkling or sparkling. In a cellar with good storage conditions, Vouvray wines can be kept for 40 years. In Touraine, in fact, it is not uncommon for Vouvray to replace Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
at meals marking special occasions.
* Montlouis: located only a few kilometres to the east of Tours, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Montlouis-sur-Loire (, literally ''Montlouis on Loire'') is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
It was mentioned in the 6th century as ''vicus montis Laudiacensis'' by Gregory of Tours.
Population
Events
Since 1987, ...
gives its name to white wines that are less well known outside of the Touraine region and are all made from Chenin Blanc grapes. The Montlouis-sur-Loire (or "Montlouis") wine-growing area was originally part of the Vouvray region, but lay on the left bank of the Loire on somewhat different soil. It was in 1938 that Montlouis-sur-Loire became an AOC (quality-controlled designation of origin) wine with an appellation that was independent from that of Vouvray. In parallel with the Vouvray wines, some Montlouis wines are semi-sparkling or sparkling, and in 2007 the term was added to distinguish sparkling wines made in the ( ancestral method) style.
See also
* List of vins de primeur
Notes
External links
Vins du Val de Loire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Touraine Aoc
Indre-et-Loire
Loire AOCs