Chinon: the largest AOC of red wines in the Loire Valley which also produces great (and rare) white wines.

As it is commonplace in the Loire Valley, the red wines of Chinon are produced from Cabernet Franc. This grape variety gives them structure and typical fruity and floral aromas, ranging from strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant to shades of violet or cloves. Of course, the terroir where the vines grow will bring subtleties to this general pattern. The hillside wines, just like in Bourgueil, will produce straighter and more mineral wines. whereas the wines near the river will be lighter and rounder in the mouth.

Beyond the red wines, the AOC provides interesting rosé wines with gourmet notes of small red fruits and rose. And as already mentioned, Chinon also produces superb white wines, made only from the Chenin Blanc grape variety. The white wines are (very) rare, only a few dozen winegrowers produce them in the appellation … and account for less than 2% of Chinon volumes.

To properly match a red Chinon with your meal, you must first understand what type of Chinon you are dealing with. For lighter wines (those from gravel soils), they will be perfect on an aperitif platter of rillons, pâtés, rillettes (from Tours) and other pork charcuteries. For more full-bodied red Chinons (Chinons from the “puys”), any piece of quality red meat  will do the trick! If you are lucky enough to have white Chinon bottles in your cellar, then you cannot go wrong by associating it with the sea flavors of white fish or shellfish. You could also get off the beaten track by marrying these with beautiful goat cheeses (Loire Valley Valençay or Pouligny-Saint-Pierre), or even a Brie de Meaux (admittedly, less local).