Loire Valley Abbondanza

The Loire is distinguished among all other French wine regions for its dizzying        diversity of wines. This can be attributed to the sheer size of the region, and the nearly two millenia of documented wine production history. Not to mention the countless changing cultural and political forces over history, whose conflict and confluence it would be impossible to explicate within the boundaries of this introduction.                      Read on for more and for tonight’s lineup…

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A Little Loire Drama…

Pascal Jolivet checking our facts.

 So, we had an unexpected visitor to the Bottega today.  Pascal Jolivet is one of  the best known names in Loire sauvignon blanc for his crisp Sancerre and  Pouilly Fume. The most interesting part  of our conversation was regarding biodynamic winemaking.  Matt mentioned that that Dom. des Huards (whose 2002 Cour-Cheverny we just  brought in) had installed a sprinkler system that in the case of frost would  allow them to dampen the grapes so that the water would freeze and create a  protective ice blanket for the grapes.  Monsieur Jolivet looked at us like we  were completely insane and when we insisted, he quickly jumped on the phone  to his friend in Cour Cheverny to check our facts.  Turns out, we were right!  Go Bottega!  Ok, on to the wines…