Vouvray

Production

The Loire Valley produces close to three million gallons of wine every year from 2,200 hectares of Chenin Blanc around the towns of Tours, Vouvray, Chançay, Noizay, Reugny, Rochecorbon, Vernou-sur-Brenne, Parçay-Meslay. The vineyards are planted over chalky soils in the hillsides and clay specked with flint near the Loire river. The Atlantic influence is felt in the region, mainly refreshing the vines with a cool and humid breeze. 

Around 52% of the wine in Vouvray, made by over 150 producers, is sparkling; the rest is still dry wine. Sweet sparkling and still wines also exist, but they’re far less common. There could be no successful sparkling wine industry in the area without the extensive Troglodyte tuffeau caves under the region’s hills. The tunnels provide the perfect temperature and humidity to age wine for years and sometimes decades, rewarding producers with a vast colour palette to blend their wines. 

Historically, the Loire river provided merchants with a bountiful pathway to stock their ships with premium wine, often traded in England, where Loire Valley wine has always been highly prized. Today, the region benefits from tourism, as wine lovers from every corner of the earth travel to the area to quench their thirsts and satisfy their deepest cravings.

Grape Varieties and Blends

Vouvray specialises in a single varietal, Chenin Blanc, locally called Pineau de la Loire. Lesser-known varieties are also permitted, including Arbois, but they’re rarely used in fine wine production.

Chenin Blanc has been cultivated in France for over 1,000 years, and although the varietal is now grown worldwide, its spiritual home is the Loire Valley. The white grape is prized for its resilience and versatility. Traditionally, producers used tart grapes from cold vintages to produce sparkling wine, ripe grapes for table wine and grapes affected by the rare noble rot (botrytis cinerea) for lusciously sweet wines. 

Wines made with Chenin are always acidic, but the grapes can also produce high sugar. This means producers can craft balanced wines in all sweetness levels, and they do. Chenin can also benefit from oak ageing, a treatment few white grapes can endure, but most modern Vouvray only sees stainless steel tanks. The wines are gorgeous either way. From starters to dessert, there’s a Vouvray for every occasion.

FAQ

Where does Vouvray wine originate?

Vouvray is a French Appellation in the Touraine sub-region of the Loire Valley. The area comprises clay and chalk soils along the Loire River. The wines are made with Chenin Blanc, considered a local variety that has adapted perfectly to the Atlantic-influenced terroir.

What does Vouvray wine taste like?

Vouvray is made with Chenin Blanc. A medium-bodied white grape with floral and herbal scents, piercing acidity and medium alcoholic strength. Quince and apricot scents are not uncommon. Oak spices and creaminess from malolactic fermentation and lees ageing make some Vouvray wines bolder and more decadent, although most examples are refreshing and reasonably light. 

Which food groups pair well with Vouvray wine?

Vouvray produces such an array of wine styles that there’s one for every meal and occasion. The wines always enjoy a lively acidity, becoming increasingly compatible with food. Fresh cheese, seafood, cream sauces, roasted poultry, pork, eggs, and even creamy puff-pastry desserts can be paired successfully with Vouvray. The region’s sparkling wine also comes in various sweetness levels, opening many more wine-pairing opportunities to wine lovers willing to explore the region’s wines.