ANJOU 2019
June 13-16
The Loire Valley
​
​
Region:
​
Stretching from Sully-sur-Loire to Chalonnes-sur-Loire, the valley spans 280km. Known as the Garden of France it is thanks to its particular blend of man, river, rock (Tuffeau limestone & slate), mild climate and land (vines and orchards, gardens and forest) that the Loire valley gives us its unique character.
Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000 as
​
​
“an exceptional cultural landscape of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments (the châteaux) and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself”.
​
The architectural heritage of more than 300 chateaux ranges from 10th century donjons, medieval forts like those of Chinon and Angers, to the splendours of the Renaissance including Chambord and Villandry to the Baroque and Classical styles of the 17th century.
​
The Last Wild River?
​
Seemingly tranquil, the Loire had been known to burst its banks in times of heavy rain or snow melt. The river was the main means of transport during the 16th and 17th centuries, slowing to near obsoletion however with the arrival of the train. Ecologists aiming to preserve the river’s wild nature, have succeeded in limiting the construction of dams to regularise the river to just two: built in 1982 in Villerest and Naussac. The use of its waters to cool down 4 nuclear power stations remains polemic.
​
The river is home to a topoclimat favourable to the growth of intertropical flora and a varied avifauna.
​
​
Agriculture
​
The Loire Valley is France's second largest agricultural region and takes up more than 70% of its territory. Food production and processing represent the largest sector of the area's economy, with meat, dairy and fish among the primary products, alongside wine. 43% of the Loire valley’s egg-bearing hens are free range, 25% of France’s poultry production comes from the valley, 13% of its eggs and. It is the first in France’s bovine and rabbit production, and 16% of its milk production comes from here. Fruit and vegetable farming is also a major agricultural occupation with orchards taking up 7700 ha as edible fruits and cider production, 1800 different farms produce in particular cucumbers, tomatoes, radish and Lambs lettuce not forgetting the mushroom industry where half of France’s production come from. Cereals occupy 32 500 ha of land while viticulture includes 30 different appellations.
The valley's farms are notable for their emphasis on gourmet production and environmentally sustainable methods. The Loire Valley is France's leader in organic agriculture, with more than 60,000 hectares organically cultivated.
​
Of the 450 existing Label Rouge certificates, 115 come from the Loire. It is a certificate of superior quality where products must meet certain criteria throughout the production chain, including farming techniques, feed, processing and distribution.
Source: www.paysdelaloire.fr
Loire Valley Wines
With its limestone-rich soils, mild climate and river, the Romans were the first to recognise the favourable mesoclimate of the area and plant vineyards in the 1st century. By the 11th century, Sancerre was already the prized wine it still is today and during the Middle Ages, the wines here had a higher esteem than those even of Bordeaux.
The majority of wine production today is white made from the Sauvignon blanc, Chenin Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne grapes. Red and Rosé wines are also successfully produced in the Chinon and Anjou areas respectively. There are 3 major sections of wine in the valley: The Upper Loire of Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir producing Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, the flint in the soil giving it its distinctive smoky gunflint flavour. The Middle Loire with Cabernet and Chenin franc grapes brings wines from Vouvray, Chinon and Saumur. The Lower Loire centered around Nantes produces the Muscadet wines from the Melon de Bourgogne grape.
The valley is recognised as a region of quality wines with 69 AOP’s (Appellation d’Origine Protegée) making up 75% of wine production. The production of wines using sustainable, organic, biodynamic methods are practiced at the estates we will visit.
​
​
A glimpse of French history in the Loire Valley
Source: Réunion des musées nationaux
During Roman times the druids of the valley tried in vain to revolt against Caesar’s occupation with the consequence that by the time of Augustus I, Tours and Orleans were flourishing Roman towns. Christianity took root thanks to St Gatien in the 4thC and Charlemagne founded the Alcuin school at the end of the 8th century near Tours.
The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) that was fought over the various claims to the French Valois throne by the English Plantagenets saw historic battles taking place at Agincourt & Orleans (St. Joan of Arc) and saw Charles VII (1422-1461) taking refuge in Chinon. The wars finally ended with a French victory and England losing much of its possessions on the continent. Louis XI (1461-1483) moved his residences between Loches, Amboise and Tours.
It was Charles VIII (1483-1498) of the Valois dynasty who settled the Court in Amboise in 1491 with Tours becoming the royal residence initiating the building of residences all around. With no descendants, the throne was passed to his distant cousin Louis XII (1498-1515, not illustrated) who established Blois as the capital city. As Louis XII was also left without a son, the reign passed to François I (1515-1547) of the Valois-Angouleme line. He re-established Paris as the capital, consequently reducing the Loire valley to a place of refuge or exile.
​
The Wars of Religion (1562-1598) that started with the Amboise Conspiracy against the young François II (1559-1560) brought mayhem to the area and followed with the assassinations of the Duke of Guise in Blois and consequently of Henri III (1574-1589).
Order was restored during the Bourbon dynasty with the crowning of Henri IV (1589-1610) (King of Navarre) and the signing of the Edict of Nantes reinstating civil rights to the Protestants (Huguenots). Marie of Medicis, widow of Henri IV, was relegated to Blois by her son Louis XIII 1610-1643).
Louis XIV, as a young boy, took refuge in Gien during the civil wars of La Fronde (1648-1653).
The French Revolution saw a counter-Revolutionary uprising in the valley known as the ‘Guerres de Vendée’ (More information about that from Olivier du Boucheron in the Red and Yellow Tours!)
Napoleon reverted various castles and abbeys into prisons but decided against making the Loire’s Joan of Arc a national symbol.
During World War One, the American expedition set up its headquarters in Tours while World War Two saw the valley split between the occupied and free zones.
​
​