Touraine District

      Touraine is not only an appellation, but also a big district that covers several appellations in the center of Loire. Today we are going to talk about the information about the district, we will show you more details about some important white wine appellations and three famous red wine appellations which are based on 100% Cabernet Franc next time.

History:

      The beginning of the development of the Touraine vineyard can be dated back to the foundation of the Marmoutier monastery by Saint Martin in 372. Thanks for the location nearby Loire River, thier wines can be transported to other countries. This development reached at its summit during the 19^th century. At that time, Touraine was one of the most important and popular white wine in Europe and North America. Unfortunately, a large number of vineyards have been destroyed during the Second World War, wine makers replanted the vine after, and started to focus on the quality rather than the quantity.  

Location: 

      Touraine district is located 226km from the Atlantic Ocean, almost the same distance from the northern Massif Central hills of France. This big district is named after a beautiful city: Tours. Which is in the center of the whole region. There are lots of marvelous royal château in this district, such as Chenonceau, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Blois, Chambord…

Surface Area: 5,500 hectares / 13,590 acres

Climate and geography:

      The principal climate of Touraine is continental climate with some maritime influence from the Atlantic Ocean. The vintage is influenced by the variation of temprature, in the common vintage, most of grapes are used to produce still wine, but when the temperature is much cooler, wine maker will shift to the sparkling wine, on the other hand, when the temprature is warmer, they prefer to produce sweet, dessert style wine.

Soil:

      The soil in Touraine is exceedingly varied: flinty clays, clay limestone on a chalk bed, and sand on flint to the east, as well as gravel stones and sand.

Varietals:

      White: Sauvignon Blanc (nearly 80%), Chenin Blanc, some Chardonnay 

      Red and Rosé: Gamay (more than 60% of harvest), Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineaus d’Aunis, Pinot Noir