Divine

Loire

In our Magazine

Vouvray

Vouvray, with its pale gold glow and whisper of quince, seems forever caught between the veils of mist rising from the Loire and the quiet dignity of ancient cellars carved into tuffeau stone. Since as early as 1936, when it was granted AOC status, this whispering village east of Tours has quietly asserted a singular identity, marrying monastic heritage—think of Saint Martin of Tours, whose abbey nearby inspired early viticulture—with the serene intricacy of Chenin blanc. Here, the famed cépage dances across styles: still and sparkling, dry (sec), tenderly off-dry (demi-sec), and luscious moelleux, shaped by cool caves and late-harvests often kissed by noble rot. Not all visitors expect elegance in such restraint, yet Vouvray defies the flashier Loire cousins with a sort of savoir attendre. To sip a glass here in autumn, from a perch above the river as vines flame gold under low sun, is to understand patience in a bottle. Keep exploring to uncover more nuanced portraits infused with the soul of the Loire.