This episode sits at the heart of the Loire — geographically and intellectually.
Anjou-Saumur and Touraine are where the Loire stops being about a single expression of freshness and becomes a study in range. Sparkling wines, dry whites, off-dry styles, some of France’s greatest sweet wines, light reds, structured reds and multiple rosé styles all exist here — not by accident, but because climate, soils and grape physiology allow it.
In this episode, I focus on why those styles exist, not just what they taste like.
You’ll hear how:
The Atlantic’s influence fades as the river moves inland
Rainfall timing, not quantity, shapes viticulture decisions
Chenin Blanc’s physiology explains its unmatched stylistic range
The Layon’s misty autumns enable botrytis-affected wines
Cabernet Franc has evolved from leafy to luminous through canopy management and warmer summers
Soil type — sand versus clay-limestone — directly shapes red wine structure and ageing potential
Appellation rules around yield and release dates influence quality and style
Commercial realities have reshaped sweet-wine production
Every detail in this episode comes directly from the WSET D3 material, but it’s woven into a single narrative so you can hear the logic of the region, not memorize it.
If you can explain Anjou-Saumur and Touraine through cause and effect, you won’t need to remember lists in the exam — the answers will write themselves.
