Coteaux du Giennois: Domaine de L'Epineau L'Instant

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.

Located on the slopes of the upper Loire, just north of Sancerre, the Coteaux du Giennois was granted appellation status in 1998. Across 14 villages and 190 hectares of vineyard surrounding Gien, it produces white, red, and rosé wines in a continental climate, with a winemaking tradition shaped by the region's many medieval abbeys and royal patronage. A fairly little-known appellation, it has slowly made a name for itself, helping to pioneer organic winemaking in the Loire.