Vouvray: Domaine Paris Brut Sparkling White

The Loire is France's longest river, running almost 400km from the Massif Central westwards to the Atlantic, and gives its name to one of the country's most diverse wine regions. Spanning some 57,000 hectares across Loire-Atlantique, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the Centre, it produces the full range of styles - fresh, light whites from Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, elegant reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Gamay, plus sweet and sparkling wines. Its western vineyards enjoy a maritime Atlantic climate, while the more easterly Centre is cooler and continental, and its chalky limestone soils help the wines retain their signature freshness and acidity. Home to 69 appellations, including the famous Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, the Loire offers something to please every palate.

One of the Loire Valley's most respected white-wine appellations and the most distinguished in Touraine, extending some 30km along the river. Made exclusively from Chenin Blanc, locally known as Pineau de la Loire, it produces a remarkable range of styles — dry, off-dry, lusciously sweet, and, above all, sparkling, which accounts for around half its output. Grown over chalky soils and flint-specked clay and refreshed by a cool Atlantic breeze, the wines are prized for their vibrant acidity and versatility, while the region's troglodyte tuffeau caves offer ideal conditions for ageing.