A River Runs Through It: Loire Valley's Saints, Soldiers, & Sips
- four Loire wine regions, one river
Today’s featured wine comes from the St-Nicolas de Bourgueil sub-region in the Loire Valley of France which produces Cabernet Franc red wines.
St-Nicolas! Seems appropriate with the approaching Christmas season!
Indeed, but I learned that the saint who influenced Loire is the patron saint of winemakers, St Martin of Tours. But first some context for Loire.
Loire Valley is the wine region that follows the Loire River, France’s longest river (400 km long). This river was key to the wine trade prior to the advent of railway systems. The Loire River starts in the center of France and flows north then west, all the way to the Atlantic. Should you follow this water course, you would experience what I consider 4 wine regions - although it is all officially considered Loire!
Four regions for the price of one - sounds like a Black Friday sale! I bet there is a reason, however.
Yes, the climate, soil, and sun exposition change significantly throughout those 400 km. For example, the Pays Nantais on the Atlantic side has a mild oceanic climate, where spring will arrive 2 weeks earlier than near the Loire’s headwaters in the Central Vineyards, whose climate is continental.
The Loire regions have evolved to grow different grapes producing wines of different taste and style profiles, and are consequently broken down into 34 sub-regions. Cabernet Franc is the most planted grape followed by Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, and Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, Loire is the top Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc growing region globally. The breakdown of wine styles is as follows: 37% whites, 29% rosés, 18% reds, and 16% sparkling wines.
You may have heard of the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé sub-regions of the Central Vineyards – they are known for their Sauvignon Blanc white wines and to a lesser extent Pinot Noir reds. Travel downstream and arrive to Touraine, named after the city of Tours. Touraine and neighbouring Anjou-Saumur are the next 2 regions - both focus on Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Lastly, the Pays Nantais grows Melon de Bourgogne (aka Melon or Muscadet) whites which seem to taste like the ocean and make you crave oysters – even if you are not a fan! These wines are typically called Muscadet on their label.
The Loire Valley has a long wine history, due to its proximity to Paris and its history of housing French kings until Louis XIV. But the area and vines go back to Roman times. In St-Nicolas-de Bourgueil, today’s showcased wine sub-region, approximately forty Gallo-Roman archeological sites and an ancient Roman road were found there.
Okay! Let’s get back to the saints that you referred to at the top of this article!
St Martin of Tours was important in the area and influenced grape growing in the 4th century! He was born in Hungary to a pagan family. He was an army brat who at the age of 10 began converting to Christianity against his parents wishes. At 15, he was forced to become a soldier in Gaul (now France) serving with the Roman Calvary. Eventually he refused to continue this role and became a bishop of Tours in Loire in 371 or 372 A.D.
Blah, blah blah …How do you become a patron saint of winemakers, anyway?
I wondered the same thing. There are many legends about how St Martin influenced wine and even a legend around a miraculous vine, but the references are weak or disputed. The conclusion seems to be that he is a Saint who happened to have spent significant time in a wine region. Put the two together and presto – a patron Saint of winemakers!
Being a do-gooder in a wine region is good enough for me to qualify as a patron saint!
Couldn’t agree more!
I would like to zone in on Cabernet Franc, which along with Sauvignon Blanc is the parent of the famous Cabernet Sauvignon, the most widely grown black grape in the world. Cabernet Franc may not be as famous as its offspring, but it is still in the top 20 most planted grapes globally.
Cabernet Franc is likely from Bordeaux, France, though its origins may possibly be in the Spanish Basque country. Its arrival in Loire’s Touraine region is documented. In 1152 the grape varietal was chosen for the Bourgueil Abbey vineyards by an abbot called Breton.
In the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc produces fresh, light or medium bodied reds with moderate tannins. Its aromas can contain both red and black fruit, and it typically has an herbaceous character with an earthy note. Elsewhere, for instance in Tuscany, Cab Franc can possess high grippy tannins in a full-bodied style.
I feel like we have covered a lot here: Santa Claus, the Holy Roman Empire, Catholic Saints, and Wine! These are some of my favorite things!
Oh boy, I think you have hit the Cabernet Franc already – we better end here. But speaking of Santa Claus this St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Cabernet Franc would make a killer pairing with Christmas turkey or ham!
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Les Athlètes Du Vin Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil Cabernet Franc from Loire, France
Style: Old World Medium Body Red
Varieties: 100% Cabernet Franc
This lively wine has flavors of strawberry, black cherry liqueur, kirsch and herbal (deep mint, thyme, garrigues) notes. It also shows complexity of vanilla, chocolate, clove, earth, and dry tobacco flavors. The wine’s acidity is moderately high and it has a persistent finish.
Best pairings: Roasted poultry, Smoked ham, Pork tenderloin dishes, Grilled vegetables, Lentil dishes, Ratatouille, Semi-hard cheese like Comté, or Soft goat cheeses.
Serving Temperature: 13-15 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: Enjoy!
Price: ~$ 32 Cdn
I have compiled all my wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
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SOURCES:
Catholic Online (no date) St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels, Catholic Online. Available at: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=81 (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
Dutac, E. (no date) Histoire, Nicolas. Available at: https://www.saint-nicolas-de-bourgueil.fr/fr/166/tourisme/histoire-et-patrimoine/histoire.html (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Loire wines, the journey of a lifetime (no date) Our adventure | Vins de Loire. Available at: https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/our-adventure (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
MacNeil, K. (2022) The wine bible. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.
Medieval Histories (2019) Saint Martin of tours – man of all times, Medieval Histories. Available at: https://www.medieval.eu/saint-martin-of-tours-man-times/ (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
Millar, R. (2014) Wine Saint’s day: Martin of Tours, The Drinks Business. Available at: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/11/wine-saints-day-martin-of-tours/ (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
Saint Martin of Tours: The man and his feast (no date) New Liturgical Movement. Available at: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/11/saint-martin-of-tours-man-and-his-feast.html (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
St. Martin’s wine: What is it, why do people drink it, and where can you get it? (2022) Radio Prague International. Available at: https://english.radio.cz/st-martins-wine-what-it-why-do-people-drink-it-and-where-can-you-get-it-8766762 (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
St-Nicolas - perfect timing and a great read heading into Christmas. A gorgeous area of France and one we forget to explore on the wine shelves! Thanks as always :)