Apart from producing some of the finest wines in the world, the Loire Valley is a wine region that is hugely complex, diverse and actually quite confusing! Following the course of France’s longest river, the Loire as a wine region covers five major regions, 95 appellations with countless communes, grape varieties, styles of wines and soil types. Of all the regions Central-Loire is arguably the least clearly delineated. It is set apart from Loire Valley wines in more ways than one, includes Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé amongst its more revered seven appellations, and yet the ‘lesser ones’ fly right under the radar of most UK wine buyers even though they produce good, full-flavoured, terroir-specific wines that offer incredibly good value for money. Peter Dean visited Central-Loire and tries to make sense of this wine region that lies at the very heart of France.

In the 17 years since Sauvignon Blanc became New Zealand’s number one wine and helped facilitate a worldwide love-in for the grape, things have been changing back at its spiritual home in Central-Loire. It is not just the appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé that are producing better quality Sauvignon in a variety of styles – Menetou-Salon, Coteaux du Giennois and Reuilly are appellations that can produce outstanding Sauvignon as well be amazing good value for wine buyers. In a tour of the region and 10 different domaines, Peter Dean discovers great Gamay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir as well as catches up with how the region is projecting its image on the outside world, the 2018 harvest, exports and more.