Loire Valley

Great examples of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé

Hi Everyone,

Today's post comes to you as I am currently exploring the under-appreciated valley of the Loire.  I know that many of us are introduced to the Loire through it's most popular district, Sancerre, but there is so much to be found as well as this full-flavoured Sauvignon Blanc.

The Loire is renowned throughout the world for so many reasons beyond it's great wines.  It is the very landscape of history, speckled with countless châteaux of the most stunning grandeur and beauty.  Some of the great marvels of European architecture, such as Château de Chaumont and the magnificent Chenonceau, dominate the towns and farmlands of this picturesque river valley.  The Loire itself is a beautiful river, flowing more than 1,000 miles from the south of France, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saint-Nazaire. 

The wines of this region are as numerous and varied as the spires of the noble châteaux which dot the landscape, from the crisp Sauvignon Blancs of Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre to the full sweet Chenin Blanc of Vouvray.  Not to be forgotten of course are the reds, with the noble grape Cabernet Franc dominating alongside a couple of Pinot Noirs.  As I look more and more into these wines, I realise that the Loire Valley is home to some truly great wines, exuding minerality, balanced acidity and overall class and elegance.

Predictably for me, I love the Loire for it's willingness to embrace it's classic traditions.  For a region so visibly steeped in history, prominently exhibited in it's castles and mediaeval market towns, it is natural that the wine-making should follow suit and embrace it's own unique gifts.  Here, wine grows up around towns and gains a reputation for it's individual style.  For example, the wines of Pouily-Fumé, from the vineyards surrounding the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire have developed a delightful, crisp minerality which resembles a struck flint or wet stones.

The wines around the village of Saumur include some delightful reds and some wonderfully balanced whites, from Cabernet France and Chenin Blanc, respectively.  One producer in particular, La Cabriolé makes a great value pair of wines.  The red is freshly acidic, with light tannins and  between bright fruits and herbs.  While they aren't necessarily the world's most perfect wines, nor will they be aging for decades, they are well-structured and show an engaging set of flavours, aromas and acidity.  

Another interesting wine which oes not get nearly the attention it deserves are the reds from around the town of Chinon.  Fresh, light and friendly wines made also from Cabernet Franc are delicious on a summer's day and, in my humble opinion, vastly superior to the similarly light and fruity Beaujolais Nouveau, which serves a similar purpose.  It can be drunk in easily and has a fruity simplicity which makes it perfect for sitting on the porch, watching a summer rain shower.

Saumur, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc

So many of these delicious wines clock in under £20, in fact many cost less than £15.  The Loire must be under-appreciated because so many of these wines could easily be sold for more (indeed many worse wines are sold for more).  Not only are they good value wines, but they're also good food wines, matching pretty much anything you'd have.  A nice oaky Savennieres suits perfectly to a roast chicken, while a Muscadet Sevre et Maine can be a perfect companion to mussels and oysters.  If you're celebrating try a sparkling Crémant de Loire, a traditional fizzy wine blending  Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc along with many other permitted grapes.  Its a nice cheaper alternative to the consistently pricey Champagne.

All this leads me to describe one of my favourite wines under £20.  The red wines of St Nicolas de Bourgeuil, made from Cabernet France with perhaps a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon are beauties for depth, complexity and finesse.  One example, Yannick Amirault La Mine, averaging around £15, has full blackberry flavours with some hints of licorice and a sprinkling of marjoram backed up by hints of bell-pepper.  Alongside a bit of grilled lamb, this wine is absolutely delightful and should be given the credit it deserves. 

Though the wines of the Loire speak for themselves, it seems that often their packaging is a bit old-fashioned and off-putting.  They don't jump out from the shelves as anything interesting.  They tend to look dated and tired, with old-fashioned labels coming between drinkers and a wine they may well enjoy greatly.  Case in point, Cour-Cheverny is a perfectly enjoyable white wine but the label is so dull and off putting, that very few people looking for an interesting wine they've never had would give it a try.

There are a few great gems in the Loire, and if we can get past the old-fashioned look of the bottles there is a bounty of great wine to be found within.  

Much Love,

G

A St. Andrews Brewery?!

Hey everyone!

Today I bring tidings of great excitement and hope.  For those of us here in St. Andrews, we have been long bombarded with the kitsch practice of booze companies producing their second-rate products and capitalising on the un-copyrighted name of our Auld Grey Toon for the sake of making 'The' St. Andrews version of their product.  Those of you who drink beer know that I am mostly talking about Belhaven.  Belhaven, aside from producing their typical mass-marketed "Best" (which is only slightly more palatable than Belhaven "Meh") produce a shameless brew known as St. Andrews Ale.

IPA, 70/- and the Oatmeal Stout

Now if this had a picture of Saint Andrew the apostle on his saltire crucifix, I would be totally apathetic about it's existence.  In fact, depending on the illustration of the blessed saint's martyrdom, I would applaud them for going all edgy-like.  As it stands, there is a ridiculously cliché picture of the Royal & Ancient.  That noble institution considered the heart of the golfing world, and something for St. Andrews to take pride in, is being used by a Dunbar-based slop-factory to promote a half-arsed beer meant to be our town's brew.  In a bar in Pittsburgh I found it being plied as "Scotland's Finest Craft Ale."  I nearly cried.  Scotland has so much to offer in the way of beer and, with any luck, so will St. Andrews itself.

This week I tasted some beers by the St. Andrews Brewing Co. and for a brand new company I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and style of the beers.  They aren't too flashy and the brewer obviously knows exactly what he's going for.  Individually, I thought one or two had some improvements ahead of them, but these are early days yet and I see nothing but good things in the future of this small operation.

I tasted five beers, across a range which is more or less representative of the classic beer styles, and in general they all pleased.  The first one I tried, the Fife Gold was nice and zesty with a good hop profile.  It could do with a hint more malt on the finish and it'll be up with Edinburgh Gold and Ossian as a delightful golden beer for easy drinking.  Either way, its a refreshing beer with a lot of positive qualities.  In general it's a good solid Gold.

Seventy Bob and Oatmeal Stout

The second was the IPA.  It has a good hoppiness for sure and a nice drying character.  That said, I thought this had a bit of work to be done for the next batch.  Again, it's a bit thin and a bit more maltiness could make this a classic style IPA that could stand out among the über-hop IPA's which seem to dominate the market.

The Neuk Ale was a very well balanced beer with a good maltiness, not quite a heavy, but rich and full flavoured with a nice deep amber colour.  I could happily have quite a few of these badgers and call it a successful session!

The Seventy Bob was a classic old-school 70/- with a great balance.  It avoids that cloying sweetness you get with MacEwans and Belhaven.  Overall, this was my favourite of the evening.

The Oatmeal Porter was a big, full bodied job with a nice bittersweet chocolate flavour and a lovely bit of dryness on the finish.  It was balanced and rich with a nice toastiness throughout.

While I think there is some work to be done, I can tell this guy has good touch with his beer and will continue to make better and better beers and I look forward to St. Andrews having a great brewery all it's own.  Afterall, the stuff did sell out very quickly from our shop, and it was after a general tasting, so the people must have liked it!  Definitely a big round of applause, and I look forward to all the great things the future will hold for St. Andrew's Brewing Co.

Much Love,
G