Appellation: Anjou
The vineyards of Anjou cover a wide area south of the city of Angers. The area produces wines of all colors and styles.
Red wines outnumber whites and may be made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot (the local name for Malbec), Gamay or two grapes that are only grown in the Loire Valley: Pineau d'Aunis and Grolleau (sometimes spelled Groslot). These may be used alone or blended, depending on local standards.
White Anjou can be made from a number of grapes, alone or in combination. Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay are all planted here. However, Chenin Blanc is the leading varietal and Chardonnay, one of the most popular and versatile grapes in the world, rarely makes up more than 20% of any Loire blend.
Anjou is also home to most of the celebrated sweet wines of the Loire Valley -- Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux -- and one of its most unusual dry white wines, Savennières, all of which are made completely from Chenin Blanc.
Loire365 Factoid
What's In A Name?
Long before the concept of varietals had been invented (and when the same grape often had many different names), French winegrowers and wine makers had discovered that wines from one village or vineyard were very different from wines from the neighboring village or hillside. This is why French wines (including those of the Loire Valley) are identified by “appellations” or place names rather than by the grapes from which they are made. The words Appellations d’Origine Controlee, or the letters AOC on a label indicate that a wine is made in accordance with strict regulations that allow the producer to use the appellation.
