DISCLAIMER: Wine-Blog is a journal of my PR wine activities and learnings. 1) I occasionally write stories about wine clients, but don’t charge them hours for that time. 2) Wine reviews (and trips) originate from free samples sent by PR people representing the brands. 3) Images are either mostly mine, some are purchased; a few rare ones are part of fair trade usage.
The Wine of the Week, from Juicy Tales, is the Gratien & Meyer Crémant de Loire. Exciting, tiny pink bubbles, from a winery that’s been making wine for over 150 years. They have heritage, they have tradition, and they have this sparkling wine, which is way too easy to enjoy! I found it to be refreshingly delicious with celebration bubbles, and it made my day. I didn’t have anything specific to celebrate when I tasted it; however, that all changed when the cork was pulled. “Heavenly” was my first thought. The rest of it is a lovely blur…
This Crémant de Loire was hand harvested. When wine grapes are hand harvested, it is the most gentle treatment of the grapes possible, from the very beginning, and it’s extremely labor intensive. This is done to preserve the grapes’ integrity. The Gratien & Meyer wine house prides itself on its gentle treatment of its wine grapes, which benefits wine and also wine lovers. The second fermentation follows the traditional method… in the bottle. According to their Website, “…in ancient underground tuffeau stone cellars, where mineral elements promote effervescence as the wines age.” [The tuffeau stone is a local limestone found in Loire Valley.
The blend:
- Pinot Noir 55 percent
- Chenin Blanc 30 percent
- Chardonnay 15 percent
Typical wine grape varieties from Loire?
- Chenin Blanc
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Melon de Bourgogne
- Gamay
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Franc
AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée), found in the upper, western part of France.
- Sancere
- Pouilly-Fume
- Eastern part of the Loire Valley, East of Sancerre and Bourges
Delicious, hum?
[Photo image borrowed from the Gratien & Meyer Website. You really need to see their video. It’s as expressive as their wines.]
The Loire region:
From the creators of the map below… Invaluable.com ~ In Good Taste
“The Loire Valley follows the Loire River through eastern France. This region produces a range of wine styles as well as quality from table wine to more high-end options. Due to the increasing popularity of red wines, Loire has ramped up its output, but still specializes in wide varieties.
“Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, and Pouilly-Fume”
On the map below of France, Number 3 is the Loire region, which is located in the central part of France. Have a look, it’s a terrific resource map and the creators have listed all regions in France.
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