Brighten Up the Holidays with Loire Valley Reds and Sparklings

Between festive meals, the New Year's Eve countdown, and parties at every turn, the wine is flowing through the holiday season. It's easy for the palate to get fatigued with richly fruited, over oaked, full-bodied bottles, so turn to a region that boasts bright acidity, palate-cleansing texture, and layers of flavor to keep drinkers intrigued. Lively sparkling and red wines from the Loire Valley have Christmas, New Year's, and every holiday in between covered.

With five main regions divided into 61 distinct appellations, the Loire Valley offers exceptional diversity, offering vibrant sparkling wines, layered reds, and everything in between. This generally cool, riverside region favors acidity over alcohol, allowing holiday revelers to be merry without over-indulging.

No celebration is complete without a glass of sparkling wine to toast the occasion or pair with delicious bites. Though sparkling takes center stage on New Year's Eve, it sets the tone of the entire holiday season. High-quality, traditional sparkling winemaking techniques highlight the Loire Valley's distinct terroir, layering fresh fruit flavors, minerality, and texture to create a range of distinct bubblies.

• In Vouvray, over half of all wines produced are sparkling, garnering the region a reputation for bubbles. Chenin Blanc can create a sparkling Vouvray that is focused and refreshing or rich and indulgent.
• Outside of Champagne, the Loire Valley produces the most sparkling wine in France, much of which is classified as Crmant de Loire. One of France's eight Crmant designations is Crmant de Loire, a blend of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. It can also include grapes like Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay as well. Feel like exploring a different hue of bubbly? Ros Crmant de Loire is dry and flavorful.

As family and friends shed their coats and scarves for the warmth of home, help them settle in with a welcoming glass of red wine that can be sipped with or without fruit. Loire Valley reds range from fruity to earthy, achieving the perfect balance of complexity and drinkability.

• Everyone has heard of Sancerre, but have you had the opportunity to sip Sancerre Rouge? Made from Pinot Noir in this outstanding inland appellation, red Sancerre is brimming with fresh cherries and cranberries, smooth and satisfying with a poised finish.
• The Loire Valley's signature red variety, Cabernet Franc, absolutely sings in the wines of Chinon. Mixed berry fruit is complemented by accents of fresh herbs, black pepper, turned earth, and more, with a layered, slightly grippy palate that can pair with dishes from green bean casserole to prime rib of beef.

There are countless Loire Valley wines to integrate into the season of holiday festivities, all of which are sure to please anyone that crosses the threshold this holiday season. And with the number of imbibing occasions to come in the last months of 2018, you very well may have the chance to try them all.

About Loire Valley Wines
The Loire Valley referred to as the Garden of France, is known for its magnificent chateaux, rich history and runs at the heart of France with 5 distinct wine regions - Pays Nantais, Anjou, Saumur, Touraine, Centre-Loire each with its own characteristics of grapes, appellations and styles. The wine-growing regions dotting the Loire's banks feature no less than 4,000 wineries, 170,000 acres of vineyards and 61 appellations of origin, thus making the Loire Valley the third largest French winemaking region. Producing 380 million bottles per year be they red, ros or white; still or sparkling; dry or semi-dry, supple or sweet the Loire Valley is France's leading producer of white wines and ranks second for ross. The region as a whole export 68 million bottles every year to 157 export markets.

Follow @LoireValleyWine #LoireLovers or visit http://www.loirevalleywine.com/ for more information.

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SOURCE Loire Valley Wines

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