Touraine: spotlight on my latest sauvignon blanc obsession

Wining with Mel readers know that I love a good deal, and the Loire Valley’s Touraine region offers incredible value for those looking for an affordable alternative to their usual sauvignon blanc.

Loire Valley – the gardens of France

The Loire Valley is known around the world for its grand Châteaux, castles originally built as fortresses during the “rough” middle ages. During the more peaceful Renaissance, these castles were expanded into beautiful countryside estates and became the favourite retreats of French kings and aristocrats. As part of this expansion, magnificent parks and elaborate gardens were added—sometimes even labyrinths!—giving the region its epithet: “the garden of France”.

In terms of wine, the Loire Valley is the third-largest wine producing region by volume in France.

Fun fact: the Loire Valley is the largest producer of sparkling wine in France outside of Champagne. Their crémants are an excellent (and affordable!) alternative to Champers.

The Loire Valley is also the biggest producer of white wine (AOP level) in France.

The area’s terroirTerroir is essentially the geographical, environmental and climatic elements of grape-growing (that allow the same grape grown in two different places to make two completely distinct wines). Here is a non-exhaustive... is influenced by the Atlantic ocean to the west and the continental climate of Central France, not to mention the Loire River (the longest in France) and its many tributaries. The soils are incredibly varied throughout the region. All these factors combine to form a myriad of unique climates and terroirs, which explains why the area has 69 different appellations (AOC"controlled designation of origin" — a certification granted to certain French wines (as well as other agricultural products) to indicate their place of origin, quality, style, as well as adherence...).

Fun fact #2: The Loire Valley became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Touraine

Touraine, so called after the capital of Tours,  is a large appellation covering 5,500 hectares in the Loire Valley.  The main grape varieties are sauvignon blanc (which makes up nearly 80% of white grapes grown here) and gamay, and to a lesser degree chenin blanc (which goes into the well-known Vouvray wines), chardonnay, cabernet franc, côt (aka malbec), cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. Nearly 60% of the wines produced in Touraine are white wines.

Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a fairly delicate and sensitive grape, and as a result strongly reflects the terroirTerroir is essentially the geographical, environmental and climatic elements of grape-growing (that allow the same grape grown in two different places to make two completely distinct wines). Here is a non-exhaustive... where it is grown. While sauvignon blanc may have originated in Bordeaux, it truly shines in the Loire Valley, where it is called simply “sauvignon”. The best-known Loire Valley appellation for the grape is Sancerre, where it makes for a dry, steely and refreshingly citrusy wine.

On the other hand, the Touraine offerings seem to be slightly rounder, richer, weightier and more aromatic. And I love them.

Here are three wines from Touraine that have been staples in my cellar these past few months. Coming in at under $17, these are all steals of a deal!

LaCheteau Touraine Sauvignon Blanc

No, it’s not a misprint or some variant of Le Château. That’s just the name of this large maison, which operates several different Loire Valley vineyards, totalling nearly 480 hectares.

This wine is smoother and richer than its Kiwi counterparts, but also boasts the grape’s tell-tale zippy acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More, making for a very balanced wine, with flavours like green apple, lime and flint, then red apple, orange blossom, pear and white peach as it warms up. YUM!

This Touraine sauvignon blanc was a HUGE hit at the last virtual Happy Hour. Everybody loved it

Where to buy: Available at select LCBO Vintages sections for $16.45 (that’s cheaper than most NZ sauv blancs these days).

Thierry Delaunay Touraine Sauvignon Blanc

This wine is fresh and crisp, yet also smooth and easy drinking. It tastes like green apple, pear, gooseberry, orange blossom, lemon, and there is a touch of something herbal there as well. This complexity may be due to the three months the wine spent sitting on fine leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... while aging in stainless steel (which maintains the grape’s natural freshness and fruit flavours and is fairly standard when making sauvignon blanc wines*). The wine’s initially racy acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More disappears entirely from the palate when paired with food, which brings out more tropical fruit flavours in the wine.

This wine is extremely food-friendly and would go beautifully with anything from grilled chicken to clam linguini.

I love the salamander on the label. This critter is apparently a common sight in the area!

Where to buy: Keep an eye out for this one in Vintages, where it is released three times a year. But I am not kidding when I say it sells out quickly, so you should definitely purchase multiple bottles. A steal for $16.95.

*The exception is called fumé blanc: sauvignon blanc aged in oak.

Antoine Simoneau Touraine Sauvignon Blanc

This Touraine is interesting because it has a very new-world feel. In fact, I could easily have mistaken it for a New Zealand sauvignon blanc in a blind tasting. Its aromatics were super fresh, like cut grass, grapefruit, bell pepper, and a hint of herbaceousness, as well as green apple and some tropical fruit. It’s like a more elegant Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc. Also, it’s vegan (did you know that most wines aren’t?).

Where to buy: There are still quite a few bottles showing in Vintages across Ontario.  Also only $16.95!

SAQ options

Dear friends from Quebec, I haven’t forgotten you. Here are two options for you.

• Château de Pocé Touraine ($15.25)
• Le Grand Ballon Sauvignon Blanc (technically not a Touraine but still 100% sauvignon blanc; amazing value from the same producer as the second option above; $13.90 – currently $1 off!)

Touraine food pairings

Due to their light-medium bodyA wine’s body refers to its weight on the palate. It’s generally directly correlated to alcohol content. Lighter bodied wines are generally lower alcohol, and heavier wines are higher in... More, fabulous acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More and wonderful flavours, Touraine sauvignon blancs are extremely food friendly and often go well with notoriously hard-to-pair foods. Here are some food pairing ideas to get you salivating:

• White fish, like poached cod or sole meuniere
• Salads
• Shellfish, e.g. Coquilles St. Jacques
• Asparagus
• Stuffed artichoke
• Goat cheese

Do you have a favourite Loire Valley wine? Have you tried a Touraine before? Leave a Comment and let me know!

Happy wining!

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My fellow winophiles are exploring organic wines from the Loire Valley this week. Did you know that 25% of Loire Valley vineyards are organically farmed? I had trouble sourcing some here in Ontario, so opted to keep things non-organic this time around. Check out the invitation post here.

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Want to come to the next virtual Happy Hour and up your wine game? It’s free! Just sign up below to get the invite when the next one is announced.