The Loire is the longest river in France, the last wild river in Europe, and has been designated a World Heritage area by UNESCO. For much of its 630 miles - from the mountains of central France to the coast of Brittany - the Loire is vineyard country, and total wine production makes up the third largest AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) viticultural area in France. It is the largest white wine region in France, and the second largest for sparkling wine.

The Loire Valley lies at the heart of France. Much of French history has taken place along the Loire. The river was once a boundary between peoples and cultures, and later the place where they met to become what we know as France. At first the Loire divided more than it united. It separated the Duchy of Aquitaine from the Kingdom of France, it divided the ancient languages that gave rise to Modern French, and the Latin and Frankish cultures that have combined to create what we think of as Frenchness. It was at the Loire that the Saracen invasion of Europe was turned back (in 732) and that modern France was born, in 1429. As recently as the World War II, the German armies skirted the Loire rather than crossing it.

Today the Loire Valley is the third most popular tourist destination in France. Famous for its natural beauty, magnificent châteaux and picturesque towns, the Loire Valley is also renowned for the exceptional quality, variety and affordability of its wines. The length of the river, and the varied terrain, geology and climates through which it flows, make the Loire Valley the only region in France to produce excellent wines of every variety. Red, white or rosé, still or sparkling, dry or sweet, the Loire Valley wines are among the best of their kinds.

The cool climate of the Loire insures that the wines, no matter how ripe, will always have a lean acidity that balances well with their fruit and alcohol. Although many Loire Valley wines age magnificently, most can be appreciated in youth. They show their best qualities with food, and they possess enough flavor and body to stand up to almost all styles of cooking. These are not wines to be collected and displayed; they are wines to be enjoyed.