[3] Archaeological evidence suggest that the Romans planted the first vineyards in the Loire Valley during their settlement of Gaul in the 1st century AD.

In his work the History of the Franks, Bishop Gregory of Tours wrote of the frequent plundering by the Bretons of the area's wine stocks.

[2] The area has a continental climate that is influenced heavily by the Loire and the Atlantic Ocean at the western edge of the region.

[3] Temperature, rainfall and average sunshine time in Angers (Anjou): With over 185,000 acres (750 km2) planted under vine, the Loire Valley is about two-thirds the size of the Bordeaux wine region.

During these cool vintages the Sauvignon blanc based wines are lighter in color, less fruity and have more pronounced mineral notes.

In riper vintages, a Loire Cabernet franc will develop aromas of raspberries and lead pencil shavings.

With more vines competing for the same limited resources in the soil, the density is designed to compensate for the excessive yields that some of the grape varieties, like Chenin blanc, are prone to have.

Temperature control is also an important consideration with the cold autumn weather sometimes requiring that the must be heated in order to complete fermentation fully.

The Middle Loire is dominated by more Chenin blanc and Cabernet franc wines found in the regions around Touraine, Saumur, Chinon and Vouvray.

The Lower Loire that leads to the mouth of the river's entrance to the Atlantic goes through the Muscadet region which is dominated by wines of the Melon de Bourgogne grape.

[2] Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir are the principal grapes of this region that is centered around the appellation of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

One of the best known producers in the region is Didier Dageneau who, until his death in 2008,[7] was an influential voice in the area advocating the reduction of yields and the use of organic viticulture.

The white Sauvignon blanc based wines from this region has characteristic gooseberry and grapefruit flavors with the Pouilly-Fumé version typically being more full bodied and rich in texture.

The red Pinot noir wines are very light in both body and color that are not very similar to other French expression of the grape like those in Burgundy.

The villages of Vouvray and Montlouis are the largest appellations in the region and make only white wines from Chenin blanc.

The soil around the Touraine area is a variety of limestone with excellent drainage that is known as tuffeau which is the same material used to build many of the famous Loire Valley Châteaux.

Unlike Cabernet franc from warmer climates, Chinon are typically served slightly cooler than most red wine.

[2] The white wines of the Coteaux du Layon, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Savennières, and Vouvray are based on Chenin blanc and are known for their high acidity when young and ability to develop and age well.

These include the Tressallier grape of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, the Romorantin of Cheverny, the Menu pineau and Groslot of Touraine and the Gros Plant of Nantes.

[12] Historically the wineries of the Loire Valley have been small, family owned operations that do a lot of estate bottling.