Garden of France: Wines of the Loire Valley

Rising in the Ardèche, the Loire river is the longest in France, meandering for over 600 miles from the Massif Central all the way to the Bay of Biscay. Where it starts to turn west, at the historic city of Orleans, is where we, as wine lovers, start to get involved.

First we come to the vineyards of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, famed for their mineral, precise Sauvignon Blanc. Then the river takes us through the great medieval city of Tours, with vineyards here devoted largely to Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, both capable of thrilling diversity of expression and ageability.

Finally, we arrive in Nantes, in time for a platter of fruits de mer and a couple of bottles of Muscadet to wash it all down. This is one of France's most diverse wine regions and between the big names, there are a myriad of lesser lights to discover.

Our shop tastings start at 7.30pm and run for approximately one-and-a-half to two hours. We will taste 6-8 wines on a theme, and bread, cheese and charcuterie is provided to match with the wines. Due to the communal nature of the tasting, we are unable to cater for dietary requirements.